Arädrìt

And now, we come to her: the latest addition (2019) and the focus of my attention until 2022.
By this time, I had settled in the mountains; at the age of 56, I felt a strong connection to the values ​​of the past and to that immense cultural and personal heritage that deserves to be preserved and restored.
It was out of this need—this further evolution toward depth and mountain life—that I created Arädrìt.
My "Herbarium Dolls" are crafted from hand-picked wild herbs; they are an artistic reimagining of the dolls mothers used to make from hay and grasses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to keep their children occupied while they worked.
The memory of a doll my aunt made for me when I was eight years old served as the inspiration for creating these artistic dolls of mine.
The "Rural Dolls"—my textile dolls—also stem from a childhood memory. There was an old doll with a horsehair body, a ceramic head, and a red dress that sat on the bed—a common custom in the 1920s, as it had been a wedding gift.
I craft them entirely by hand, from the pattern-making to the final stitching, stuffing their bodies with wool clippings sourced from local shepherds. Their outfits draw inspiration from folklore characters and the traditional clothing of the people who once inhabited these mountains; their garments, too, are made entirely by hand.
The collections and clothing items I create are contemporary reinterpretations of traditional folk attire from bygone eras. To make them, I often use vintage fabrics salvaged from garments long forgotten in wardrobes and attics.
My hand-knitted garments and four-needle socks represent a continuation of tradition over time, as do the sewing classes I hold for beginners. Opportunities for socializing, the passing on of knowledge, and an art form that are being lost.