Whakapapa 2

Acrylic on board, 90 x 60 cm, Private Collection

A re-telling of whakapapa (Maori for “genealogy”), this time using traditional embroidery—again tracking the Romani’s migration path from India through various countries en route to Europe. The quilts’ traditional designs reflect patterns from Northern India, Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, India, and Turkey (from bottom to top). As they travelled, Roma women sold common household items door-to-door, like lace, tablecloths, flowers, needles and thread, bobbins, and pins.