Togetherness 

Artist:              Dhiradj Ramsamoedj

Title:                Togetherness

Dimensions:   206 x 104 x 33 cm

Medium:         Mixed media wall sculpture (textile,  acrylic, textile glue and wire gride)

Year:                2017

This work of art symbolizes the cultural bond shared by Suriname and French-Guyana. Like the neighbors that they are, the two countries are depicted side by side, and the shape of the piece is therefore determined by the outline of the borders of the two merged countries. Although the whimsical surface created by the hundreds of colorful pieces of textile looks like it might visualize an aerial photograph of the dense tropical rainforest, Ramsamoedj has intended it to symbolize the varied ‘cultural jungle’ of both countries. The two stylized hand-shapes reaching towards each other in the center of the work are symbolic of two brothers who try to find each other on a cultural level. It is for this reason that the hands are made primarily of culturally relevant pieces of cloth. According to Ramsamoedj “Suriname and French-Guyana are developing countries and development brings enlightenment. This is symbolized by the splashes of reflective paint that I have added onto the work. We still have some work to do towards our development, which is why these splashes of enlightenment are not dominant in the artwork.” 

Text by Cassandra Gummels