“Phragmite body” is a body of work all inspired by the marginalized spirit the Phragmites. Thus far it has consisted of a series of temporary installations, spiritual vigils, and intensive material explorations primarily through the form of paper making. Community building is a primary faucet of this work, in which I involved the RISD students and faculty throughout the process of harvest, material experimentation, installation of ritual spaces and the rituals themselves as a means to build a more intimate relationship with this othered plant.
The vigils I held were in direct response to the activism on campus and the global conflict in Palestine. It was my hope to create moments where we could heal together as a community during these troubling times through spiritual connection with our environment. I see the Othered identity or spirit of the Phragmite as a bridge between our hearts and those amidst struggle. The process began with a series of more intimate Vigil’s at RISD Farm which were hosted in a small shrine we built along the beach amidst the field of Phragmites and marsh. These more intimate moments then culminated with a public demonstration called Phragmite Body, where a group of students and I sat in Providence’s Market Square (a site with related marginalized histories tied to slavery) and held a Public vigil. Each participant laid a Phragmite in the body which was symbolic of a life lost amidst the global conflict in Palestine.
