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From the Twi proverb “Mmere dane, dane”, which literally translates to “time changes, changes”. Life is like a flowing river, it can’t exist without constant change. We have to learn how to accept the natural flow of life so that our souls can be one with the whole.
Translating literally to Siamese crocodiles, this symbol reminds us of the importance of tolerance and cooperation. Normally independent, the crocodiles are forced to coexist and unite in order to survive and for that have become a symbol that represents unity among different religions and cultures.
Ananse Ntontan translates to “spider’s web”. Ananse is a very well-known character from African folktales. It was him, half man, half spider, who brought from the skies to Earth all the tales and stories. For that, he is the symbol of creativity, wisdom and the complexity of life.
Asked what initially drew Mariana to exploring the human figure in her artwork, the artist shared: “I’ve been drawing female figures since I was a little kid, all the adults around me used to say I was going to grow up to be a fashion designer because I simply loved making up outfits and poses in my drawings. I ended up graduating as a graphic designer and I moved away from my family to Rio de Janeiro. My first year here was kind of lonely and meant adapting a lot since there are many cultural differences between here and where I come from, a much smaller city in the South of Brazil.”
From the proverb “Fawodhodie ene obre na enam”, meaning “independence comes with its responsibilities”. This Adinkra is a symbol of freedom and independence and reminds us those are things that should always be used with wisdom.
Translating simply as “pepper”, the word mako forms part of the proverb “All peppers do not ripen at the same time”. Mako tells us that every person has their own time in learning and growing and gently reminds us that no situation is permanent. We must always lend a hand to those in need for the world is an ever-turning wheel and our place in it is ever-changing.
San Martin continued: “Drawing became kind of a therapy for most of my free time and being away from everybody I knew drove my attention to all the new and different people and behaviors around me. I started wondering why I felt so misplaced, they were all people just like me after all, it shouldn’t feel so unfamiliar. That led to thinking about the role of culture and environment in our lives and personalities and about how all the choicesI was making and experiences I was having were affecting deeply and permanently who I was becoming. I become a lot more interested in the human part of my drawings instead of their outfits. My figures, then, lost their clothes and hair and started to interact with abstract forms and colors. I began to see the faces and bodies I drew and painted as containers to much more than their looks.”
San Martin continued: “Drawing became kind of a therapy for most of my free time and being away from everybody I knew drove my attention to all the new and different people and behaviors around me. I started wondering why I felt so misplaced, they were all people just like me after all, it shouldn’t feel so unfamiliar. That led to thinking about the role of culture and environment in our lives and personalities and about how all the choices
I was making and experiences I was having were affecting deeply and permanently who I was becoming. I become a lot more interested in the human part of my drawings instead of their outfits. My figures, then, lost their clothes and hair and started to interact with abstract forms and colors. I began to see the faces and bodies I drew and painted as containers to much more than their looks.”
From the verb “Kyim” which means to twist, this Adinkra represents knowing how to adapt through the tortuous paths that make life’s journeys.
Kojo Baiden means nothing less than the universe and its omnipresence. It’s a protective symbol that embodies the idea of us, everyone and everything being connected. This relates to our intuition, if we are all one then everything and anything can be found inside of us, we just have to look for it.
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The Amuletos series explore these ideas through stitching with copper. In other works and series, I do the same with paint, fabric, carving and really any other materials that make sense at the time. It’s important for me to work with materials and techniques that relate to the story I’m telling and add to that narrative.”
Bese Saka means “a sack of cola nuts”. Cola nuts grow spontaneously in Western Africa and are said to have healing qualities being used to treat from anemia to migraines and heart illnesses. Their important role in the economic life of Ghana made them a symbol of abundance, prosperity and unity.
Meaning “God, the mother”, this Adinkra carries a feminine energy that translates into protection, nurturing and caring.
Mariana described ancient wisdom as a thread passing through many lifetimes. Asked how her artwork contributes to this thread, and what role she sees art playing in preserving and passing down wisdom, the artist said: “I feel we’ve been, as a collective, so disconnected from our history and ancestry. Western culture praises standing out as the ultimate success and that, most times, means ignoring completely the fact that nobody at all starts from zero and nobody at all goes anywhere alone. We are a social species, we need each other, we need to share knowledge and experience and being able to do that is exactly what makes us so special.I feel that using art to tell stories of beliefs and wisdom from many different cultures and times makes palpable that the humanity each one of us carries is the same as everyone else’s. Art is a beautiful way of recognizing ourselves outside of ourselves. Art is, for me, a way in as much as a way out, and allows us to realize that in and out are just the one same way.”
Mariana described ancient wisdom as a thread passing through many lifetimes. Asked how her artwork contributes to this thread, and what role she sees art playing in preserving and passing down wisdom, the artist said: “I feel we’ve been, as a collective, so disconnected from our history and ancestry. Western culture praises standing out as the ultimate success and that, most times, means ignoring completely the fact that nobody at all starts from zero and nobody at all goes anywhere alone. We are a social species, we need each other, we need to share knowledge and experience and being able to do that is exactly what makes us so special.
I feel that using art to tell stories of beliefs and wisdom from many different cultures and times makes palpable that the humanity each one of us carries is the same as everyone else’s. Art is a beautiful way of recognizing ourselves outside of ourselves. Art is, for me, a way in as much as a way out, and allows us to realize that in and out are just the one same way.”
From the proverb “Hye wonhye” or “Burn you won ́t burn”, this Adinkra gets its meaning from the old practice of walking on fire without burning one’s feet. It is a symbol of overcoming difficulties and enduring the wrongs in our lives.
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