MY MANDELA IDEA WAS SLIGHTLY INSPIRED FROM THESE CULTURAL MEHENDI DESIGNS WHICH I HAVE INCORPORATED THROUGHOUT MY PORTFOLIO. IT IS THOUGHT THAT MEHENDI ORIGINATED IN THE DESERTS OF INDIA WHEN THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE DISCOVERED THAT COVERING THEIR HANDS AND FEET WITH COLOURED PASTE FROM THE HENNA PLANT HELPED THEM TO FEEL COOLER. IT WASN’T LONG UNTIL A CREATIVE INDIVIDUAL BEGAN MAKING INTRICATE DESIGNS WITH THE COLORED PASTE INSTEAD OF JUST SMEARING IT ON. THE COMPLEXITY OF DESIGNS GREW AND BEGAN TO TAKE ON MEANING. EVENTUALLY BRIDES BEGAN TO DECORATE THEIR FEET AND HANDS WITH HENNA AS PART OF THEIR WEDDING RITUALS. MANY OTHER MEHENDI TRADITIONS DEVELOPED OVER TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, WOMEN’S HANDS WERE DECORATED WITH HENNA AT CHILDBIRTH BECAUSE WOMEN WITH INTRICATE MEHENDI DESIGNS DID LITTLE HOUSEHOLD LABOR SO AS NOT TO DESTROY THEIR BODY ART. TATTOOING WOMEN’S HANDS AT WEDDINGS AND CHILDBIRTH ALLOWED THEM A FEW WEEKS WHERE THEY COULD BOND WITH THE NEW HUSBAND OR NEW BABY AND NOT BE BOTHERED WITH DAILY HOUSEHOLD CHORES. THE TATTOOS WERE ALSO THOUGHT TO BESTOW BLESSINGS AND GOOD LUCK.
PROCESS OF MAKING THE YARN LIGHT YOU WILL NEED - YARN - BALLOONS - PVA GLUE - LIGHTS 1: GET A BALLOON. 2. BLOW UP THE BALLOON. 3. GET THE PVA GLUE AND SOAK THE YARN IN THE GLUE. 4. START TO WRAP THE WET YARN RANDOMLY ALL OVER THE BALLOON MAKING SURE ITS TIGHTLY SECURE. 5. LEAVE T FOR A DAY TO DRY UNTILL THE YARN BECOMES HARD 6. POP THE BALLOON AND CAREFULLY PULL IT OUT OF THE YARN MOULD. 7. ADD THE LIGHT IN.
A SHOWCASE OF A FEW OF MY ARTWORKS IN THE TRIAL AND ERROR EXHIBITION
THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT FROM THE YARN LIGHT I HAD MADE EARLIER DURING THIS PROJECT USING A DOYLIE WHICH IS SORT OF LIKE A MANDELA WHICH IS KNITTED TOGETHER WITH WOOL.
I COMPILED ALL THE DOYLIES WITH THE SAME DESIGN AND USED THE SAME METHOD AND TECHNIQUE I DID WITH THE YARN LIGHT TO CREATE THIS