Spring Equinox Banner
Mani Kambo (2025)
Commissioned by Story of the Changing
The spring equinox—a time of balance, renewal, and transformation. These textile banners, created through appliqué techniques using cotton fabric, water-resistant canvas and thread, act as markers for unity and hope for the future.
Just as the butterfly emerges transformed after its chrysalis phase, we too experience cycles of hibernation and rebirth. The composition reflects this balance between endings and beginnings, darkness and light. Exploring our universal journey through periods of metamorphosis.
The lantern at the center, inspired by York street lanterns, symbolises the guiding light we seek during uncertain times. It represents our openness to illumination and introspection—a reminder to turn inward, seeking wisdom within ourselves. Lighting our own paths through darkness, we learn to trust our intuition and inner knowledge to guide us through the fog and uncertainty.
The ibis birds, ancient symbols of magic and rebirth, stand as guardians of transformation. They remind us that change, while sometimes challenging, leads to new beginnings and possibilities.
Concentric circles ripple outward, representing the expanding nature of birth, growth, and connection—to each other, to the land, and to our ancestral wisdom. These connections are further symbolised by the open book, a space of shared knowledge and stories that link generations.
The stark contrast of black and white creates a visual tension broken by vibrant copper accents—like the unexpected resilience of plants and snowdrops emerging as symbols of hope, bringing colour back to the world after winter's monochrome palette.
Through this work, I invite viewers to contemplate their own cycles of change and the collective wisdom that guides us through periods of transformation and renewal.
