Introducing Annie Marsters: 2022 ATW Artist in Residence

As part of our enhanced enrichment on board, our upcoming 2022 Around the World cruise will feature a compelling series at Artist Loft that invites guests to participate in creative projects inspired by the fascinating destinations we are exploring and also introduces local techniques and approaches that are practiced in particular regions. One of the Artists in Residence, Annie Marsters, is a talented textile sculptor and will be aboard Insignia for several weeks beginning May 6, 2022, to share her passion and expertise on textile sculpture, African fabrics, and the incredible stories behind the fabrics and other materials she sources. We caught up with Annie to learn more about her sculptures and the heart of her inspiration.

Your textile sculptures are fascinating. Can you tell us about how your path led you to this medium?
Previously a watercolor and pastel artist, I longed to develop my art into something more three-dimensional and explore my love of abstract art. The “lightbulb moment” came when I discovered textile sculpture. It is now my passion.

African fabrics seem to be a great inspiration along with the stories behind them as well as with the other materials you may be using. Can you tell us about this and the role these materials play in your sculptures?
Africa's lifeblood is in its villages, where women support their families through traditional arts and crafts infused with rich colors and symbolic patterns – most strikingly in its fabrics. My African sculptures are a tribute to these women and to the fabric makers. Because they are handcrafted, each piece is unique and the fabrics I use are locally sourced in Africa direct from the makers.

These are people such as Musa Jaiteh, who makes the unique kola nut and indigo fabric in his family compound in Sukuta. He makes them in small batches and dries them in the West African sunshine. Hanlie Burger and her team make beautiful and symbolic amafu fabric, designs created by the inspirational Glenda Kirkiridis – her mentor – which now provides much needed employment and training in the local community of Westville near Durban. These traditional methods are under threat from the ready availability of modern synthetics. It gives me great pleasure in knowing that, in a very small way, we are helping to preserve a unique way of life.

Then there are the beadmakers of Africa, using everything from river mud to broken Bombay Sapphire bottles and old cassette tapes to create beautiful and unique beads, each hand-painted with care. So many stories to tell. These are my inspiration.

With the inspiration you’ve discovered in Africa, are there particular parts you’ve spent time in or find that you continually return to?
I have spent time in The Gambia, Senegal, Southern Africa, Mozambique and the African markets and have had the privilege of watching many of these artisans at work. Entire families are involved in the process, such as Yohanes Nahr – Master Bead Maker – and Oklah Tetteh and his family. Many of the beads we use in the workshops are made by Oklah or by Yohanes, his wife, Comfort, and their daughter, Salome, who all work in the shade of an open-air shelter in their village in the hills above Koforidua. Their creations are taken to the weekly bead markets in Koforidua or Krobo-Odumasi.

How do you go about beginning a new project? What is your creative process?
This is a somewhat spontaneous process. I gain inspiration from the shape of a piece of wood, for example, or a story or photograph, or something just pops into my head and keeps “knocking.” The actual process of sculpting always begins with making an armature and finding the right materials to bring it to life. Then my sculptures have a tendency to grow themselves. The spontaneous qualities of the textile hardening medium I use show me where it wants to go – I simply follow.

I want my figures to have a heartbeat – a personality – and to represent the strength and continuity of the human spirit. My African sculptures are a tribute to the dignity, talents and natural beauty of the people of Africa.

What are some of the ways you plan to share your passion and creativity with guests on board as they are traveling the world?
The sculptures we create in the workshops on board begin with a simple process that helps guests achieve something they are proud of. Whilst we will work to a theme, for example African ladies, no two ever end up the same and I am constantly amazed at the beautiful sculptures that guests create – and so are they.

I tell the stories of the beads and the fascinating processes of creating them while we work. Guests love to hear how these beautiful and authentic beads we are using are helping to keep the ancient bead culture alive and are helping to support families that take so much pride in what they do. Sharing my passion for the subject is the best part of what I do and sharing the stories behind the beautiful fabrics and beads they are using is always appreciated and very much adds to the creative process.

I also bring along things used in the making of the fabrics and beads, such as Adinkra stamps made from the calabash gourd that is used with wax to create a resist. I share stories of the beadmaker's day and how they used ancient methods in the making. All of this is a key part of Africa's heritage…learning about it enriches what we create together and adds to the fun. As Albert Einstein said, "Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.”

Textile sculpture inspires me, but the greatest pleasure I have is in inspiring others to find the joy in making something beautiful that wasn't there before.

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