Living Language Land: Part 1

Our SAQA KS/MO/OK region is doing an exhibition inspired by the Living, Language, Land project.  The project is focused on conservation through the lens of endangered and minority languages, and the idea that different languages illustrate different ways of interacting with the land.  One of their goals is to inspire others to bring the 26 words selected from minority and endangered languages to life in their creative practice.  Our SAQA region has invited its members to make one or more small (12x12 or 12x24) art quilts based on these words, not appropriating imagery or symbols from the cultures where the words originate, but reflecting on how these words can relate to our own connections with the land.

I initially picked two words to make quilts on.  I decided do use the layered topography approach I originally explored back about 8 years ago, largely because I had signed up to teach that technique on Quilting Arts TV this summer.  That was a great trip, perhaps at some point I'll get a post up on that, but the two Living Language Land quilts were both illustrations for that segment.

My first word was Maloka.  

From the Living Language Land website:

• Language: Murui (Uitoto)
• Region: Amazon region, Colombia
• Contributor: Emperatriz López of the Murui Muina people

Ancestral longhouse

I decided to do an abstracted piece inspired by the shape and form of long houses, with geometric layers building up.  Layers like this have felt like "home" to me in quilting for a long time now.  

This was my quilted background.

These are some of the layered pieces after cutting and during painting.

And here are all the original layered pieces.  I decided the bright greents and yellows were too bright, so in the end, I just went with the under layers.

This is the final piece,  it actually wound up feeling more like a banner than a house, but that resonates with me too, think about family symbols and things like that.

Homecoming, 24x12, c.2024, Shannon Conley

The artist statement on the piece says:

Meditating on the idea of a traditional long house I kept coming back to the plain simple shapes used as little kids to draw houses. Houses turn out to be much more complex than that, but home doesn't have to be. My hope is that we can foster societies where home is a safe and loving place for everyone.