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We live in peculiar times. With all the new ways of being and communicating. Us being virtually in places that we are not physically at. Being connected but isolated at the same time. Experiencing feeling alone, but also many new kinds of 'getting together'.
Everything seems so close, but yet so far and out of reach. And it's also the other way around. We are concerned with what's happening far away next to what's close to us. And we are constantly bouncing between being fragile and stronger than ever because of it.
Being here, present, connected, online, offline, separated, out of reach.
The lines between these states are blurry.
Does being online cancel out being present? Or does being apart leave us disconnected?
Can distance also be close, and our closeness be distant?
Language can pin only some points on the spectrum of our reality, but our stories are much fuller, as they are stretched out on a continuous canvas woven by threads each connected to the others.
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These are the thoughts that bring together my new (& second) edition of the Etudes of Colour series, which comes with the sub-title 'Close distance' (aka 'KINKYORI').
The 2 designs symbolise different states - TOJIRU for close and KYORI for distance. They carry 3 elemental colour schemes to capture environments with a different mood - the freshly 'Flora', little bit cosmic & ethereal 'Ether' and calmly grounded 'Terra'.
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So, few months ago I started the series 'Botanical Jewels' to bring more of nature's graphic inspirations into my work and with it pay homage to my many botanical muses.
It started with the coneflower, and now I've found my next muse in the Fireweed. Or the Willow's orchid as the Japanese would call it.
The story of what makes the Fireweed so powerful is that it's the first plant that grows after an area of land has been devastated by fire. It signals to the rest of the nature that it's time to regrow. And that's why Fireweed has a strong symbolism of release, rebirth and potential for something new.
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So, some of you may have noticed that I took a break recently. I decided to let go of some older projects and figure out where I really wanted to put my focus on when it comes to my creative work.
Fireweed, like a true muse, appeared on my drawing board without me even knowing exactly why. She just arrived. And when I looked into her and figured out her symbolism, what she stands for, it suddenly became so clear.
A certain shift had happened in my thinking and I was ready to burn down some old restraints that I had put on myself, and become creatively free again.
I found myself excited to go and take on more creative adventures and to start sharing a broader spectrum of my creativity with you than I've done so far.
So here we go! This is the story of how the new chapter 'YAKEDO' came together. Representing the Fireweed as the solace queen of change. And the rebirth of my creativity.
(Btw, this "re-birth" also brought my renewed brand name - from Studio Mari Seger into a simplified Mari__Seger.) ;)
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Each chapter will get its perks and quirks from a certain species. And inspired by their looks and characteristics, I'll be creating a variety of items that one can wear or decorate their homes with.
The first chapter BŌSHI is inspired by the powerful flower Echinacea purpurea and its sister Rudbeckia hirta.
I'll tell you more about them in my next post.
And here you can take a look at the fresh lookbook:
Lookbook - 'BŌSHI', Botanical Jewels
photos: Mari Seger
technical set: Taavi Muide
Muses are Kärolin and Anna, who also helped with style and MUH.
Set was in-house and the plants are all habitants of my studio.
See the full collection: Botanical Jewels, chapter BŌSHI
And few picks for you:
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