CARIBBEAN QUILT | 2011 

102 
 

                    “Torn: A Custom 
                      Altered By Society” 

 
Ashti-Leah Mindy Rampersad 

 
I have seen changes throughout the course 
of time and how the use of mehndi has been 
taken out of its traditional context and now 
used in multiple forms. For example it is 
used on the human body for temporary 
tattooing; the floral and decorative patterns 
are seen in clothing and advertisements. 

 
My work depicts both worlds: one where a 
person is holding on to those traditions; the 
other aspect is adopted from the world that 
is ever changing and vast. Combining both, 
shows my world, a hybrid world meant to 
resonate with those who are “torn” by what 
they have left and now live in. A new 
meaning is developed when both worlds try 
to co-exist.   
 

                    My art maintains the traditional decorative  
                    flow of patterns, which is applied on canvas  
                    or wood, using a variety of materials such as 
                    sand, torn paper, tiles and acrylic paints; 
                    these materials represent the change and 
                    influence of the world in which we now live 
                    in.