Mesopotamia
Banana silk on hardwood
46 cm x 103 cm
Artist’s Statement
Mesopotamia draws its name from my paternal heritage — an ancient region known for its innovation, complexity, and cultural richness. This work reflects on this history, evoking the grandeur of a place that once thrived at the crossroads of empires and trade routes. Crafted from banana silk — an eco-friendly, biodegradable fibre hand spun by women’s cooperatives using weaving mill waste — the piece weaves together themes of sustainability, memory, and transformation.
The material itself carries layered meaning: silk, once traded along the Silk Road that passed through Mesopotamia, has long symbolized prestige, power, and connection. In this work, it becomes more than fibre; it is a thread linking past to present, land to memory, while pointing toward a more conscious, enduring future. The gold-dominant tones speak to both opulence and antiquity, echoing the significance of silk in global trade histories, while the structured tactile surface echoes the architectural and scholarly achievements of Mesopotamian civilisation.
Mesopotamia is both personal and historical — an abstract homage to heritage and legacy.