Mishka Olivier, The collection, Artist book, 130mm x 180mm
This piece features an artist book that focuses on the artist’s female heritage. It explores many themes and ideas related to their maternal experiences and histories, the book captures the warmth and love left behind from each woman the artist came in contact with. The book contains recipes, remedies, tricks and much more that has been used by generations on females, to improve their lives and ensure a easier road ahead.
It tells a story of the artist’s own female ancestors, tracing their lives and experience through generations. It’s a documentation that reflects one’s own interpretation of female heritage. There are also pieces of this book that link to a broader history of women. The idea that females leave things behind for the future women, and how each is unique to the social and cultural atmosphere, each of those women made an impact on their next generation in their own way.
The intergenerational connections explores the links between the different generations of women in the artist’s family and community. Talking with different groups made the artist see how unique each connection is, and how different women share their knowledge with those they love. The cultural heritage that was present lead the artist on a rich journey. Experiencing all of the aspects of their maternal heritage left feelings of warmth pride and joy.
This book is a gateway into the life of these women, into what they wanted to leave behind for their future generations and how personal each handover was. It captured the way the artist interprets this knowledge and how they have compiled it into one piece. It’s about female familial connections and the strength and bond between all women in our world.
