Duna,
Sculptures shaped by hands like dunes shaped by the wind. Slowly, intuitively, allowing time and thoughts to flow.
The Palmeira-anã is a strong plant, growing on sandy, rocky Portuguese land and withstanding salty winds. Duna is the transformation from this earthy sturdiness into a collection of curvy, woven sculptures. It’s a conversation between nature and human.
The eternal repetition of plaiting and sewing gestures makes me travel back to a time where ‘empreita de palma’ was rooted in the Portuguese rural daily life.
Duna is a respectful engagement with a culture that isn’t mine. It’s a humble request of acceptation.
© Patrick Shah
‘Empreita de palma’ is a traditional basket weaving technique from the Algarve using palm leaves from the native Palmeira-anã.
The palm leaves are harvested in early summer. They dry during one month, letting nature’s rhythm take over. The heat of the Portuguese sun during the day alternated with the humidity of the night, slowly turns the dark green leaves into pale beige. Once fully dried, the palm leaves are plaited into a long strip and slowly sewn into shape.
The Duna pieces are currently part of the exhibition Contra/Tempo by Portugal Manual. Some of the pieces are also available at Icon Shop in Lisbon.
