Razel Mari’s latest creation reflects his ruminations as a Fulbright Silvermine Program scholar while residing at Connecticut, USA. 

The coconut fiber sculpture dubbed as Sita, derived from the Filipino word bisita, which means visitor. The 26-year-old innovator utilized the wonders of natural materials and seamlessly wove coconut fibers, as well as sticks and twines from the forest.

“The serene area surrounded by woods and a pond made it possible for different creatures to visit me while I was working there,” Mari said.

The Industrial Design graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde shared that using coconut fibers as his primary medium reminded him of the fond memories he had back home.

Mari learned the fundamentals and techniques of weaving from mentorship trainings with the master artisans of Pulilan, Bulacan.

The finished work features the body and hind legs of a deer, the talons of a heron, and the slender neck of a fisher. A polished soapstone fragment was also incorporated for the sculpture’s eyes.

“As Sita is in the outdoors, it will slowly be taken by the earth,” he defined. “Whether by passive elements, to include rain, the sun or snow, or by active means such as birds using the fibers for their own nests, the entire structure will be part of the ecosystem it occupies,” he said.

Mari advised his fellow designers that learning is a lifetime process and a humbling quest.

“We live in a beautiful world that’s always full of wonderful surprises, we just need to be open about it,” he concluded.