Saco da Baixa

Saco da Baixa Hands. Jellyfish. Merkins. Lisbon, January 2023 for Gulbenkien. This social project through the arts that took place between 2021/2022 in downtown Coimbra is based on applying skills and creativity towards raising connection, self-awareness and worth individually and in the group. We worked on feminine archetypes and their representation through textile sculpture and felt-making in a process that engages conceptual thought, manual labour and a joint effort in constructing the sculptures. The presented body of work emerged from profound creative moments shared by the group in a personal and transpersonal transformative process. The Hands: Representing the archetypes of maiden, healer and priestess, this piece also dwells on the many significances of hands in a feminine context. The Medusa: The medusa embodies the archetypes of the enchantress, wild woman and warrioress while pondering on the many traditionally perceived curses of the female condition. The Merkins: The rebellious tufts that represent the archetypes of the mother, lover, queen, and wise woman. As pubic hair stands on the first line of the feminist movement, it raises countless interpretations and reactions worthy of being pondered upon.