Blockprinted Turkish Towel — Winter Solstice '23
Hand-carved and block printed onto 100% Cotton Turkish Towels — these pieces have been created using island-inspired motifs drawn from my life here on Yunbenun.
The first collection, designed for the Winter Solstice of 2023, is a celebration of the long nights at this time of year and the rhythmic cycles of nature that you can’t help but become attuned to in a place so connected to the land, the ocean, and the stars.
The full moon rising from the water, the half moons lining the bottom and top of the towel, and the stars surrounding each edge are all inspired by the beauty of these extended Solstice nights. The nautilus shell symbolises ancient and sacred geometry, reflecting nature’s innate tendency to arrange itself into perfect mathematical harmony. Coral represents our profound connection to the ocean—the cradle of life on Earth. Banana leaves and papaya signify our bond with the land and the sustenance it provides. The steps framing the inner section of the towel design are cement steps at my local beach—a structure that has fallen away and eroded over time as nature reclaims some forgotten man-made intrusion. And finally, the snake in the centre was living in my garden when I returned to the island this year after some time away; I named her Aphrodite after she left her skin at my front door. She is an ancient symbol of rebirth and the divine feminine.
The two colours I have chosen to print with have also been carefully selected to represent earth and water. The land and the ocean. Terracotta and Azure.
All of these block designs have been dreamt up and hand carved in the last 6 months, among others. I pieced them together in this towel design for you to wrap yourself up in, drape over your furniture, or lay down on a sun-drenched afternoon, as a functional piece of art that might hopefully serve as a gentle reminder to pay attention to the art all around you and maybe even tap into your own ability to create beauty in any moment that you choose to.
Hand-carved and block printed onto 100% Cotton Turkish Towels — these pieces have been created using island-inspired motifs drawn from my life here on Yunbenun.
The first collection, designed for the Winter Solstice of 2023, is a celebration of the long nights at this time of year and the rhythmic cycles of nature that you can’t help but become attuned to in a place so connected to the land, the ocean, and the stars.
The full moon rising from the water, the half moons lining the bottom and top of the towel, and the stars surrounding each edge are all inspired by the beauty of these extended Solstice nights. The nautilus shell symbolises ancient and sacred geometry, reflecting nature’s innate tendency to arrange itself into perfect mathematical harmony. Coral represents our profound connection to the ocean—the cradle of life on Earth. Banana leaves and papaya signify our bond with the land and the sustenance it provides. The steps framing the inner section of the towel design are cement steps at my local beach—a structure that has fallen away and eroded over time as nature reclaims some forgotten man-made intrusion. And finally, the snake in the centre was living in my garden when I returned to the island this year after some time away; I named her Aphrodite after she left her skin at my front door. She is an ancient symbol of rebirth and the divine feminine.
The two colours I have chosen to print with have also been carefully selected to represent earth and water. The land and the ocean. Terracotta and Azure.
All of these block designs have been dreamt up and hand carved in the last 6 months, among others. I pieced them together in this towel design for you to wrap yourself up in, drape over your furniture, or lay down on a sun-drenched afternoon, as a functional piece of art that might hopefully serve as a gentle reminder to pay attention to the art all around you and maybe even tap into your own ability to create beauty in any moment that you choose to.