Unveiling the Soul of the Swamp
Islandia Artist-in-Residence Fola Akinde shares their most recent piece, a quilt called Indigo Stains, Indigo Bleeds Blue.
Indigo Stains, Indigo Bleeds Blue is a quilt which explores the connections between Black life in the Florida swamp and Gullah/Geechee heritage. Fola also did extensive research into the relationship between Zora Neale Hurston and the swamp.
The aim of Indigo Stains, Indigo Bleeds Blue is to capture the multifaceted nature of the swamp, going beyond its surface beauty to explore its complexities and layers of meaning. The swamp served as a refuge from enslavement, a sanctuary where Black individuals sought solace, reclaimed agency, and formed deep spiritual connections. Zora Neale Hurston's writings served as a powerful lens through which to explore the experiences and resilience of Black communities in the 1900s, shedding light on the intertwined histories of the swamp and its inhabitants.
To visually convey the essence of this exploration, Fola utilizes cyanotype prints on indigo-dyed fabric. This approach allows them to dive into the symbolic significance of indigo in Gullah/Geechee culture, representing protection and the preservation of ancestral traditions. By incorporating indigo-dyed fabrics as the canvas for the prints, Fola evokes the spiritual and historical dimensions of the swamp and its deep-rooted connection to Gullah/Geechee culture.
Here are some images from the State Archives of Florida which served as inspiration for the quilt.
Inspired by the process of sewing this quilt together, Fola penned a poem
Moonbeams wane, heart of the swamp’s mystic symphony.
Cypress knees and twisted branches stand tall as guardians of the realm.
A sanctuary amidst dangers, where life finds resilience.
Spirit realm entwined with earthly existence, a delicate site of divinity and mortality.
Ghosts linger in the shadows, spectral echoes of lives once lived.
Seek solace from the past’s relentless toll.
Secrets breathe softly beneath murky waters, veiled memories rise from swamp’s embrace.
Whispers of freedom linger, carried on soft zephyrs in the ebb and flow.
Languid waters bear witness, life’s interplay unfolding nonlinear wisdom and strength.
Unseen forces guide the way, an ancestral compass leading through paths of darkness.
In the top left corner of Indigo Stains, Indigo Bleeds Blue, there is a spider web. In Gullah Geechee culture, spiderwebs were used as sutures to stop bleeding and heal deep cuts. The spiderweb was made out of beading thread with beads mimicking dewdrops. The web serves as a healing tool for the quilt and for the memory of those connected to the swamp landscape.
The Islandia Journal Artist-in-Residence program is designed to provide an early career South Florida artist with resources to grow their portfolio, and also exposure to museums and galleries. Fola Akinde is the first ever Islandia AIR.
Read more here:https://www.islandiajournal.com/ij-air