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Design TO Reflections

  • Rheanna Gilbert
  • Feb 7, 2021
  • 4 min read

“Distanced and Digital” was the fitting tagline for Design TO’s 2021 festival. Having attended many digital events and festivals over the past year, I’ve found some clear advantages and disadvantages of this online format. On one hand, events are more accessible than ever without geographical barriers. On the other, the experience is quite different and personally, I find it less engaging. Although Design TO offered numerous window exhibits, I attended virtual offerings this year, since I was unwilling to travel downtown.


I would have loved to see Adrienna Matzeg’s downtown window display of framed punch needle pieces entitled Destinations. The window display contained six works inspired by travel and the artist’s nostalgia for it, prompting viewers to reflect on our relationship with travel and the future of travel post-pandemic. Luckily for me, Adrienna posted a photo of the display on her Instagram page, showing all six pieces and they’re stunning!


Fig. 1 Destinations Window Installation


The graphic style, punch-needle technique, and soft colours lend a joyful, yet serene feeling to the pieces, and a sense of comfort and warmth. Visual representations of travel often emphasize the aspects of adventure and uncertainty, while this collection feels more peaceful and comfortable. Perhaps this is the inevitable result of working with soft materials, but I think the softness emphasizes the serenity and contentment which the artist was trying to capture. Looking at them makes me feel deeply happy, fulfilled, and hopeful that we will travel again someday soon.


Fig. 2 Destinations Punch Needle Texture Detail


These pieces really spoke to me since I (like many others) have been feeling similarly nostalgic for travel. Not only for extensive trips abroad, but even for the ability to travel around the province, or the city freely. Feeling rather tired of seeing the same spaces every day, these pieces beckon me with their alluring architecture and patterns. Not to mention that the yellow arch reminds me of Jantar Mantar; one of my favourite monuments I visited in India. I’m inspired to recreate some of my own travel photos with punch needle in the future.


Fig. 3 Photo of Jantar Mantar From my Trip to Jaipur, India


My work is also heavily inspired by travel, especially by my time in Rajasthan, India. I can see the sense of wonder and inspiration that I get from travel in Adrienna’s work as well. Moving forward in the development of my collection of yoga and meditation props, Destinations has prompted me to recommit to simplicity. I often catch myself overcomplicating things. From forms, to surface designs, to techniques, I become overwhelmed by possibilities and try to include too much, yet I consistently find myself drawn to simplicity in the work of other designers and artists. As I develop my capstone collection’s surface designs in the coming days, I will remind myself to keep it clean, clear, and simple.


Speaking of simplicity, IGBO SUPPLY’s short film “jikọta” captured my interest right from the description. On Design TO’s website, the description begins with: “this surreal and intimate short film is a journey through process, taking you on a tour of IGBO SUPPLY‘s production rituals and methodologies—all of which are informed by the relationship between Indigenous West African cultures and wellness” (Design TO). It also explains that jikọta is “an Igbo verb meaning ‘connect,’ ‘unify’ or ‘bridge’” (Design TO), and how IGBO SUPPLY highlights Indigenous African craftsmanship and its relevance in the contemporary world.


Fig. 4 “IGBO SUPPLY presents JIKỌTA” Short Film


I wrote down so much of what the narrator said in my notebook. I found the whole film inspiring and impactful. It was both timely and timeless, addressing the immediate concern of the pandemic, but also the timelessness of our fears and stories about it. Timelessness appears to be a major theme in the film and in IGBO SUPPLY’s business. It’s conveyed through the narrator’s commentary about ancestral knowledge, traditions, and elderly relatives; and in the visual language of signs of wear and age. Through vintage objects, lingering shots of dried flowers, and close ups of cracked walls and worn floorboards, the themes of time and preservation are omnipresent.


Fig. 5 Still from “IGBO SUPPLY presents JIKỌTA” Short Film (0:40)


So many elements of this film resonate with me and my own practice. The focus on process, mindful production, and sustainability in product creation is strikingly similar to the intentions of my own capstone work. Some of the language and phrasing used in this piece is deeply inspiring to me, particularly the way they speak about process. The phrase “production rituals and methodologies” sticks with me because I feel that it expresses the spiritual nature of slow, mindful, sustainable craft in a way that I haven’t been able to. Overall, the storytelling is incredible, and I’ve been inspired to better tell the story of my own work moving forward.


Fig. 6 Still from “IGBO SUPPLY presents JIKỌTA” Short Film (5:35)


I’m very pleased that I was able to see photos of Destinations and experience the “jikọta” short film. In complete honesty, most of the virtual Design TO offerings didn’t resonate with me this year, but I’ve gained a lot of value from these two works. They offered me hope, happiness, and opportunity for reflection when I really needed it, and I hope that my work can do the same for others in the future.



Works Cited

Design TO. “Destinations.” Design TO, designto.org/event/destinations/. Accessed 07 February, 2021.

Design TO. “jikọta.” Design TO, designto.org/event/jikota/. Accessed 07 February, 2021.


Figures

Fig. 3 Gilbert, Rheanna. "Jantar Mantar." 2020, Photograph.

Fig. 5 IGBO SUPPLY. “IGBO SUPPLY presents JIKỌTA” YouTube, uploaded by IGBO SUPPLY, 28 January 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xsRYvs3_9E. Screenshot by Author.

Fig. 6 IGBO SUPPLY. “IGBO SUPPLY presents JIKỌTA” YouTube, uploaded by IGBO SUPPLY, 28 January 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xsRYvs3_9E. Screenshot by Author.


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