Sentinelles is a concept inspired by Dijanne’s spiritual connection to the land. The colours of the hand-dyed fabric reflect the colours of the Australian landscape while the hominid form gives homage to her European heritage. The haloed female form appears across religions and cultures to depict a sense of reverence, holiness and spirituality. Dijanne chose the word Sentinelles, which means to watch over, as opposed to Guardians, which also implies taking care. Sentinelles only observes. It is for us to act. To take care of the environment, the land, the earth.
What started out as a solo artwork has grown into a collaboration. Dijanne made several hand-printed Sentinelles and made them available to her students both in Europe and Australia to embellish. Each person brought their own personality and style to their piece.
The collection has travelled extensively in France and Australia and will soon go back to Europe for a new round of exhibitions. We were fortunate enough to experience this collection at the Craft and Quilt Fair this past weekend.
With Dijanne’s permission, I took a few close-up photos to focus on the magnificent use of colour and personal interpretation represented in this exhibition.
Go forth and be inspired.
Read more about Dijanne’s work, her future projects and her new book here.
The Fabric Thread 