MEXICAN MATRYOSHKA

The Mexican Matryoshka is made with the paper waste of my studio and with trimmings from heirloom corn husks that are leftovers of another project called Totomoxtle. I decided to use all this waste to make a fibrous pulp which is moulded into nesting shapes and hardened using corn starch. Inspiration for the piece came from Russian dolls as I found the act of revealing smaller versions of a woman and having a baby in its core very intriguing. At the heart of all the pulp containers I placed a pink Mexican corn, one of the oldest varieties and one that is unfortunately going extinct. In a way this ancient cob is both the mother of all corn and although it might be increasingly rare its seeds hold the source of new life therefore it must be treasured and protected. The piece was created for The Trade Show an exhibition created by Faye Toogood for London Design Festival 2017.