Rhiannon Tafoya, “Relational Sentience Tal’ ”

Artist Statement

In recent years, I have immersed myself in the basketry culture of my Eastern Cherokee community and have created significant relationships with generational basketmakers, as well as the living environment that surrounds me. Relational Sentience Tal' is about my relationship to four specific plant dyes: bloodroot, walnut, butternut, and yellowroot. Each of these dyes are used for white oak, honeysuckle vine, and rivercane basketry and they provide rich colors that enhance the designs and patterns of the basket. Each of the dyes are illustrated in a pop-up form on three of the panels (top, right, & bottom.) The left panel of the book is an accordion fold that holds a print of my maternal grandmother (the first basketmaker i have ever known) and four love poems to accompany each dye. The center of the book gently holds a paper weaving with letterpress printed ornamental type in colors that mimic each of the dye colors from the plants. The front cover is illustrated with signifiers of the white oak tree, honeysuckle vine, and rivercane. The back cover shows a poke berry bush, which is a tribute to cherokee basketmakers in the past who utilized the poke berry for basketry dye. Relational Sentience Tal' is an homage to the plant relatives that graciously gift their vibrancy to basketmakers and how this traditional collaborative relationship allows us to understand each other and pass on traditions and stories to our loved ones.

rhiannon tafoya

North Carolina, USA
www.skyetafoya.com
IG:  @r.skye.t

Relational Sentience Tal’
2026

Letterpress and screen-printing on paper, handmade paper and book cloth; bookboard structure; pop-up structures; paper-weaving

CLOSED: 8" x 8" x .75" OPEN: 16.75" x 37.25" x 5.75"

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