IXTLE ABOUT SISAL

Object Installation
Agave fiber, bamboo sticks,

cotton wall hanging
2024

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Inspired by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's concept of “The Danger of a Single Story,” I am reclaiming the suppressed identity of a material—as a testament to cultural resilience, historical roots, and living presence.

The work is dedicated to ixtle or henequen—an agave fiber from Yucatan, Mexico, which in pre-Hispanic times was called “ki” or “el oro verde” (green gold) by the Maya. Known internationally as “sisal,” the colonial-era name refers to the now-defunct export port of the same name in Mexico.

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The name commonly used in the West renders the original origin and cultural significance invisible and non-existent. This work is intended as a tribute to what has been rendered invisible for so long and opens a dialogue between the past and the present.