South Indian Meal/Spice Routes-Roots
Book cloth, Cave papers, handmade cinnamon paper, black pepper paper, and clove paper (hemp, flax, cotton). 2” x 11.5” x 16.5”
I connect to the daily ritual of eating from a banana leaf plate. The cover is turmeric yellow and bright red. The red represents the kum kum, tilak, or bindi that are applied on the forehead signifying one’s Hinduism. The red geometric structure references Islamic design patterns; and rangoli patterns drawn at the house entrances to ward off negativity. On the banana leaf plate, placement of food is well-defined and precise. At the same time, the routes the spices traveled to become a part of the South Indian meal are long; the currents, cultures, climates and people that brought these spices/foods to Southern India are varied and diverse. The meal presented on top is fed and flavored by the flow of spice/foods streaming below.
