Unpacking the Native

With this suitcase I am emphasising the ritual of tap tattooing.  The upholstery used in the case also lines the edges of the banig mat, in which I treat like furniture.  The paisley fabric mimics ferns and plants found in wet forests. 

This suitcase is displayed on the ground encouraging the viewer to change their posture by bowing, kneeling or crouching to view it.

The contents that I’ve placed in the case draw attention to nature as something sacred.  It’s custom fit drawers are reminiscent of apothecary cabinets in Asian culture.  I want to evoke mystery and magic in the way institutional displays portrayed and orientalized foreign culture.