Sumba, an island in eastern Indonesia, provides a step back in time. I was privileged to able to visit the island for my thirtieth wedding anniversary and experience the gentle way of life in tune with the land, together with an insight into a culture very different from my own.

Traces of Sumba is my response to two artefacts given to me on the island, a medicine pot and a head ring, that were used by women on the island historically. The patterns, colours and textures of the objects are replicated in the work through the techniques of frottage, stencilling and weaving.

Thirty individual panels have been created in the same size as the cylinder component of the medicine pot. Each panel aims to capture the delicacy of the carving pattern on the medicine pot and/or the intricate weaving of the head ring. It is a work of memory and homage to a little-known corner of the world, as well as a sentimental celebration of a happy thirty years.

The work has been informed by the frottage stencil work of Penelope Vlassopoulou who is interested in capturing urban history, the paper weaving images of Jennifer Bell celebrating diversity of human pattern creation and the design genius of Anni Albers.