Exploring Upcycled Fabrics: Divine Goddess Imagery in Art

Recently, I was given a stash of upcycle ready fabrics, cleanly cut sleeves in cotton plaid, cotton and rayon t-shirt materials, chunky sweater materials too. Among this varied and color saturated pile, were two fuchsia, cotton canvas, hemmed squares. Each was a slightly different finished measurement than the other. As I walked through this persons home, I lit upon three similarly hemmed, coaster size pieces, each with hand embroidered faces, which I have learned were from Guadalajara. The stitches used were crude and long, but so very effective at depicting out stretched tongues and large expressive eyes. I was enamored.

When offered fabric like this, I am struck by the gathering of colors, weight of the goods, I am interested in how and why the collection was curated. In this collection, curry yellow, ochre yellow, came forth as central, an important color, with at least five different shades were found. I have been in need to novelty and excitement, in the making. This seemed like a perfect moment to pivot and explore new themes with great colors too.

There were several works of fiber art through this persons home. None of which utilized cotton batting in any way. Once I got home, I looked through all the goods, finding the two hemmed squares. An exploration of goddess imagery ensued. I could make large faces in the exact format I had seen at my friends home and, I did not need to use cotton batting.

Kali, one of the ten first Mahavidyas in Hinduism, who represent the divine Mother. Kali is a liberator, a fierce protector, and she is associated with time, death and destruction. In the modern world, Kali is a symbol of significance for women, teaching the use and power of rage. Tara, is a Tibetan Buddha who is also considered a liberator and protector from the eight dangers, pride, delusion, anger, jealousy, wrong views, avarice, attachment and doubt. Another attribute Tara shares with other female deities is playfulness, and she is known to prank those who lack reverence for the feminine.

I call upon the strength and dignity provided by the Goddesses, Kali and Tara. I honor them and choose to depict them while conjuring their best qualities as ones I want to experience in this world, one stitch at a time. I feel blessed to have been given these fabrics and to explore the power in female deity.