CARRIED IN CLOTH

Carried in Cloth reflects one of my favourite mediums within my artistic practice: lino printing on fabric. I enjoy the slow, intentional process of carving each block by hand and exploring the many different compositions that can emerge from a single design. Each carved block can be printed, repeated, rotated, and layered, allowing every piece to become unique while remaining connected to the original motif.

Although lino printing is a contemporary printmaking process, my practice draws inspiration from the traditional Samoan art of siapo (barkcloth). Siapo is created by beating the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (u'a) into cloth before decorating it with natural pigments and cultural motifs. Traditionally, many of these designs were applied using carved wooden printing boards known as upeti, which enabled repeated patterns to be transferred onto the cloth (Mallon, 2002; Neich & Pendergrast, 1997).

These motifs carry stories of identity, genealogy, environment, and cultural knowledge, making siapo both a functional object and a cultural archive. Through my use of lino printing, I honour these traditional methods while reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens. By carving, printing, and recombining Pacific motifs onto fabric, I celebrate the ongoing evolution of cultural expression and the ways our traditions continue to be carried forward through new materials and creative practices.