Narrative Threads
It was with much joy that I curated and installed the third annual Art Life Stitches group exhibition, Narrative Threads at Mogalakwena Gallery.
This year my focus was specifically on the human hand and the line, BLESS the HANDMADE from Notes for Radical Living, a poetic manifestation by Scottish actress, Tilda Swinton was paramount.
The full version of Notes for Radical Living is at the bottom.
When we create, we connect intimately with what is inside us, what is below the outer facade. We hold beliefs, memories, thoughts and develop ideas, which are made tangible when creating with our hands. Our inner world shapes our outer world when we create.
The very tactile quality of an object created by the human hand inspires me … its imperfections and its intimacy. For me there is a magic in making things by hand .... something sacred.
There is deep connection between my thoughts, hands and the objects I create. I embroider, knit, stitch, sew, sketch, paint, cook, bake, garden, read and write. In making with my hands, I find inner peace in this uncertain, unpredictable, chaotic time in our world. Billions are spent on warfare and, in comparison, little on the health and well-being of all people and our planet. Horrendous human suffering and the destruction of the natural world remain the news of the day.
It was interesting to read an article, written in 1995 by Laurence Weschler. He refers to the idyllic scenes painted by Vermeer more than 300 years ago. The paintings, which portray a sense of peacefulness and serenity were actually painted during and after a turbulent time of religious persecutions on the European continent. One of the reasons why many Dutch and French refugees arrived in the Cape.
The wisdom of the human hand makes the soul grow.
Elbé Coetsee 2026