Materials: pine wood (stem), soapstone (bowl), plaster, recycled plastic & aluminium (adornments)
For Native people, the act of smoking the pipe symbolises their relationship with all living and spiritual beings in the world. My work draws upon critical design theory, specifically design as a narrative and as symbolism, by attributing the three different parts of the pipe different meanings.
The bowl symbolises the land/culture and mother nature, the stem represents colonisation and the patriarch and finally, the adornments reflect environmental destruction. The air hole, designed to go around the circle as well as straight through the stem, makes it more difficult for a person to breathe through— alluding to the ongoing effects of colonisation and difficulties Native Americans now face connecting to their culture, land and ancestral spirits. The cracked plaster carvings on the stem are also symbolic of the hardships and diversion from culture Cherokee people faced after the Trail of Tears.
Cutting, routing, sanding, drilling & carving techniques were used to make the final design
