O lado sensível da piaçava: a fibra negra quilombola no encontro com a arte e o design

Abstract

This research aims to explore the materiality of the palm tree Attalea funifera Martius, commonly known as piaçava or piaçaba, as a living fiber of the Jatimane quilombo, located in the Southern Lowlands of Bahia, Brazil, and its innovative developments. Based on artistic experiences and experiences that cross the fields of design and art, we seek to expand the affordances of this subject. We present a historical approach to the materiality of piaçava, since the creation of the quilombo, contextualizing it through objects that represent the African presence and survival in Brazil, especially textile objects, as well as their ancestral technical knowledge. This investigation uses qualitative methods such as literature review, research-creation, iconographic and ethnographic studies, configured through an artistic-scientific residency. We involve the local community in experiences and exchanges of knowledge, seeking co-creative processes and the construction of textile objects, especially using waste from the fiber cleaning and separation process to meet conventional market standards. The research highlighted the developments of black fiber, revealing different possibilities of use, ways of reusing and developing artistic objects, mainly weaving, modeling and the manufacture of piassava fabric, expanding the creative potential of artisans. An important contribution of the study was the possibility of rethinking the manufacturing processes of piassava objects, adding artistic and design values, and expanding the community's perception of their design and relational culture with black fiber. This research is especially useful for designers and artists who wish to work with communities, focusing on terroir, landscape and memory as fundamental axes for co-creation in artisan communities.