Weaving Death: Black Stage

Publication information:

Patiño, Ana. 2025. “Weaving Death: Black Stage.” in Spirituality and the Arts. Harvard Divinity School: Program for the Evolution of Spirituality.

Abstract

Artist Talk: “Weaving Death: Black Stage” is as much a talisman as a tool of a mortuary ritual. Inspired by Colombia’s countryside and indigenous spiritual practices of magical baths, the artwork yearns for a meditation and acceptance of human pains and sorrows, of the multiplicity of ideas and feelings that can come into play when contemplating one’s death. Through natural dying, tapestry weaving, and the usage of a specific set of magical herbs known for their exorcising, cleansing, and calming qualities, the art piece functions as an invitation for having an open and empathetic conversation about death as a preparation for it.


Presenter Biography

Artist and art historian from Bogotá, Colombia. Her academic work and art focus on studying the concepts of death and the monstrous in art, spirituality, folklore, and alterity, explored through writing, drawing, embroidery, and weaving. Since 2018 she has participated in various group exhibitions, film festivals, and symposiums.

Find a link to their artwork below.