The Coral Wall

An ongoing art project that lends a helping hand to resolve marine debris by collecting fishing ropes from the mangroves area, unraveling the plastic strands, and weaving them into textile art.

Ari engaged the collective efforts of artisans and others in the local community who had been made out of work to collect the plastic ropes from the beach, and to transform this unsightly detritus into works of art. Meticulously unraveled, the colourful ropes yield sturdy raw material to be transformed into evocative tapestries that celebrate traditional craftsmanship while evoking the shifting states at sea.

The seascapes “Morning Breeze” and “Evening Breeze” for instance, recall the gentle play of the breeze on the water’s surface, with tiny ripples suggested by horizontal skeins of coloured thread. A thick band at the top of the tapestry evokes a horizon line, or perhaps the changing depths of water. “Sea Grass” and “The Coral Wall” were inspired by an aerial view of the ocean: a combination of weaving techniques is punctuated by loose strands and tufts of coloured thread, recalling the gentle sway of sea grass in the waters or clusters of corals. In another work, a tangle of loose threads evokes forms of marine life such as jellyfish.