‘Bumbu’ evolved through a participatory, collaborative process with local craftswomen in Sinthian, Senegal. A series of ceramic objects was jointly created. Segments of each object were partly made by the women and partly by the artist; thus each object has more than one creator. The word ‘bumbu’ means the “beginning” or “foundation” of a pot, often the bottom part, which is produced by use of a mould. The ceramic series was initiated by the artist, introducing geometrical forms form her artistic repertoire. In the video the geometrical, modular forms of the moulded “foundation” parts made by the artist contrast with the craftwomen’s traditional forms and techniques, yet inspire the new objects that evolve throughout the dialogical work process. The artist reflects: “Through the intensive collaboration process, we were actively involved with each other’s working habits and techniques. I could get a sense of various aspects during the making of the series. The video bumbu shows the making of: from collecting materials in nature, such as earth, grass, dung, to processing the materials and shaping the objects. Towards the end of the film the younger generations appear more prominently in sequences that confront the previous framing of the traditional culture and crafts with digital media imagery that introduce another perspective to the present and the future of the rituals and life in the village’s culture.”
