Ants & Ceramicists 4

Elias Sime

2009–2014 · Mixed media: woven fabric, metal (flattened bottle cap), embroidery yarns, paint/pigment · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Embroidered as part of an installation entitled Ants & Ceramicists, this textile was exhibited with hundreds of ceramic and mixed media sculptures and wall hangings. Within this elaborate exhibition, fifteen large-scale embroideries involved the minute stitching of ant-like bodies to cover the textile surface. This series, and the exhibition more broadly, drew a connection between ants and ceramicists as groups viewed to be annoyances or lower status within Ethiopian society. Despite this low status, both ants and ceramicists have endured for centuries, adapting to their harsh environments and developing complex social structures within their respective communities. These embroideries highlight Elias Sime's mastery of fluid form and technique. The intricate stitches create swarms of stitches so dense that only close inspection reveals references to the minute forms of ants. The time and physical demand of such detailed work required Elias Sime to take frequent breaks to ease the strain on his eyes. After he completed this fifteen-work series, he stopped stitching in favor of mixed media assemblage.

Artist

Elias Sime

Date

2009–2014

Medium

Mixed media: woven fabric, metal (flattened bottle cap), embroidery yarns, paint/pigment

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Gift of Ellen Stern, in loving memory of Jerome Stern, 2022