The five paintings in the collection were made with traditional materials and techniques including hemp paper similar to that used in Al-Andalus, hand-made watercolour paints from natural pigments, and real gold.
Four of these paintings echo medieval Andalusi manuscripts. Stylised depictions of plants complement hand-lettered poems written by Medina Tenour Whiteman in the “voice” of the plants, and palimpsests (margin notes).
Rosemary has been associated since Antiquity with remembrance, and also Mother Mary. The Cardoon represents
finding peace beneath layers of protection. Olives are living embodiments of the Moorish agricultural genius, remaining fruitful to the present day. Henna has been a medium of feminine embellishment for millennia, banned in Inquisitorial Spain for its Muslim associations.
The fifth painting, Daughters of Light, is an esoteric envisioning of a sisterhood of women inwardly seeking the Divine Qualities manifested in Creation.
It conveys the act of turning our subtle, patient attention to the wisdom of our plant companions, by which we may learn how to live in harmony with
the natural world.