Transcript:
Saivani: I don't think like… like, I've taken pictures in that forest… I've brought my art pieces there to take videos and have it as the background, but not like the…. Sometimes it's the main focus, but it's different when you're like, really looking for patterns and like looking for what you want to imprint, so…
Kim: I think it's cool that the patterns we were drawn to were all the things that were different. I think usually, a traditional herbarium is trying to be as predictable as possible, like “oh, this is such a classic example of this species” - and that's like useful in a lot of cases - but, what we were drawn to was like “oh, look at this nub” and “oh, look at this broken piece, that looks really cool.” And it's what would make that specific plant very unique, so I think it's cool that it kind of flips that on its head too.
Saivani: Yeah I think it gives you a different experience.
Kim: At the beginning, we did kind of use specific leaves and bring them over, but then we went to the tree, to the bark, and we didn't remove it from the plant, so it's kind of like a non-invasive imprint. And then we were noticing how it was in relation to others, like we had that broken tree that we were getting the shape of the bark, but then we also pressed the leaves of a different species next to it, and talked about the relations of them all together. So it's cool to have these kind of community collage imprints instead of these singular examples.
Saivani: Yeah, I liked that better too, it was more immersive in a lot of ways. (laughter)
Kim: Yeah
Saivani: Yeah… I think we just have to bring bug spray next time (laughter) And also like, I could imagine if it was not just for the purpose of printing… What if it was an activity that happened to have printing… Like what if it was like, eating at the park and there's a willow tree nearby, and you're spending time there, yeah, and then you have an imprinted memory of…
Kim: Of that time, and who was there.
Saivani: Yeah, it's like, you're not disrupting anything, or not taking away anything, but you are getting like…
Kim: Recording…
Saivani: Yeah, and as close as possible…
Kim: Yeah
Saivani: Without any damage yeah, which is cool
Kim: I mean that sumac is probably…
Saivani: Yeah that sumac is… still it's still… Everything is… attached, but, some of the nubs are gone. But that happens you know, like when you have plants inside, sometimes people
will shake them or put them in the shower because it's just like, to simulate rain or like, yeah, to get them more hardy. Yeah, or like how when you take seedlings from inside to outside, you have to get them more used to the environment outside.
Kim: Yeah, the change.
Saivani: So I don't - I don't think - I think they've suffered worse than…
Kim: And I was talking also, I think it was with Sunshine, that sometimes the ‘leave no trace’ goes too far - it's like, that's also kind of part of this idea of humans being separate from nature. It's like, things are blooming and producing because that is what they are meant to do, and we are supposed to relate to that, and so usually we relate to that by eating or sleeping or building, but like, who's to say making art isn't also a way of relating and celebrating those things?
Saivani: That's true, because like, the untouched aspect of it I think is very colonial…
Kim: Yeah, it was Sunshine, and she was saying, like, the problem comes when you
don't also care for it in return. So if you're just taking and exploiting then that's problematic, but if you're just not engaging and not doing anything then that's not necessarily any better.
Saivani: Yeah - I like what you said about familiarity instead of - I don't know if it was instead of, like - identifying, but focusing on that instead.
Kim: Mm-hm, if the goal is to become more familiar and be able to recognize different plants, and just be more comfortable and knowledgeable, then yeah - it's just familiarity. And like, having more examples of relationships and different ways of relating and noticing.
Saivani: Yeah, different ways of noticing… I like your idea of doing the bark on one side and the leaf on the other side. I don’t know…
Kim: (gasp) It would be cute if like - because most of the stories that are in the exhibit…
Saivani: mmhm
Kim: I guess not always, but a lot of the time we recorded outside, or at least at some point we met in a park or something… Like a lot of this happened next to a tree, so maybe if each storysharer, after each session, we made one of these... And then it was like, maybe the visitors don't know, but each of those imprints is also related to one of the story stations.
Saivani: That's a really great idea, and it's really easy to do that because you can just keep your rolled piece in a ziploc bag with just a little spray of water, and they'll be ready to use.
Kim: And for each person, like each storysharer makes a little clay…
Saivani: Yeah, and you can see how people, like, maybe someone uses more pressure than another person, or someone chooses something else.
Kim: Yeah, I love that.
Saivani: I feel like that would be really nice, and then if they do that, we can figure out the firing and glazing after.
Kim: Straight to the glaze no chase. (laughter)
Saivani: That's a good one.
Kim: I think it's cool that the patterns we were drawn to were all the things that were different. I think usually, a traditional herbarium is trying to be as predictable as possible, like “oh, this is such a classic example of this species” - and that's like useful in a lot of cases - but, what we were drawn to was like “oh, look at this nub” and “oh, look at this broken piece, that looks really cool.” And it's what would make that specific plant very unique, so I think it's cool that it kind of flips that on its head too.
Saivani: Yeah I think it gives you a different experience.
Kim: At the beginning, we did kind of use specific leaves and bring them over, but then we went to the tree, to the bark, and we didn't remove it from the plant, so it's kind of like a non-invasive imprint. And then we were noticing how it was in relation to others, like we had that broken tree that we were getting the shape of the bark, but then we also pressed the leaves of a different species next to it, and talked about the relations of them all together. So it's cool to have these kind of community collage imprints instead of these singular examples.
Saivani: Yeah, I liked that better too, it was more immersive in a lot of ways. (laughter)
Kim: Yeah
Saivani: Yeah… I think we just have to bring bug spray next time (laughter) And also like, I could imagine if it was not just for the purpose of printing… What if it was an activity that happened to have printing… Like what if it was like, eating at the park and there's a willow tree nearby, and you're spending time there, yeah, and then you have an imprinted memory of…
Kim: Of that time, and who was there.
Saivani: Yeah, it's like, you're not disrupting anything, or not taking away anything, but you are getting like…
Kim: Recording…
Saivani: Yeah, and as close as possible…
Kim: Yeah
Saivani: Without any damage yeah, which is cool
Kim: I mean that sumac is probably…
Saivani: Yeah that sumac is… still it's still… Everything is… attached, but, some of the nubs are gone. But that happens you know, like when you have plants inside, sometimes people
will shake them or put them in the shower because it's just like, to simulate rain or like, yeah, to get them more hardy. Yeah, or like how when you take seedlings from inside to outside, you have to get them more used to the environment outside.
Kim: Yeah, the change.
Saivani: So I don't - I don't think - I think they've suffered worse than…
Kim: And I was talking also, I think it was with Sunshine, that sometimes the ‘leave no trace’ goes too far - it's like, that's also kind of part of this idea of humans being separate from nature. It's like, things are blooming and producing because that is what they are meant to do, and we are supposed to relate to that, and so usually we relate to that by eating or sleeping or building, but like, who's to say making art isn't also a way of relating and celebrating those things?
Saivani: That's true, because like, the untouched aspect of it I think is very colonial…
Kim: Yeah, it was Sunshine, and she was saying, like, the problem comes when you
don't also care for it in return. So if you're just taking and exploiting then that's problematic, but if you're just not engaging and not doing anything then that's not necessarily any better.
Saivani: Yeah - I like what you said about familiarity instead of - I don't know if it was instead of, like - identifying, but focusing on that instead.
Kim: Mm-hm, if the goal is to become more familiar and be able to recognize different plants, and just be more comfortable and knowledgeable, then yeah - it's just familiarity. And like, having more examples of relationships and different ways of relating and noticing.
Saivani: Yeah, different ways of noticing… I like your idea of doing the bark on one side and the leaf on the other side. I don’t know…
Kim: (gasp) It would be cute if like - because most of the stories that are in the exhibit…
Saivani: mmhm
Kim: I guess not always, but a lot of the time we recorded outside, or at least at some point we met in a park or something… Like a lot of this happened next to a tree, so maybe if each storysharer, after each session, we made one of these... And then it was like, maybe the visitors don't know, but each of those imprints is also related to one of the story stations.
Saivani: That's a really great idea, and it's really easy to do that because you can just keep your rolled piece in a ziploc bag with just a little spray of water, and they'll be ready to use.
Kim: And for each person, like each storysharer makes a little clay…
Saivani: Yeah, and you can see how people, like, maybe someone uses more pressure than another person, or someone chooses something else.
Kim: Yeah, I love that.
Saivani: I feel like that would be really nice, and then if they do that, we can figure out the firing and glazing after.
Kim: Straight to the glaze no chase. (laughter)
Saivani: That's a good one.
About the sculpture
Saivani and I met near their house with a block of air-dry clay, some giant knitting needles, and experimental spirits. We wanted to make a tactile herbarium: something that visitors could touch and explore to learn more about the lobes, edges, and textures of various tree species. What began as leaf-replica-making soon became forest-moment-imprinting, as we sought out unique combinations of textures and individuals, creating what I've come to call 'community collage imprints'. We chatted about how these imprints carry meaning and memory for us, and wondered what significance the public might see.
Saivani Sanassy
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Saivani Sanassy is a Mauritian-Canadian multidisciplinary artist. Their work is deeply rooted in community, care, and cultural storytelling. Since 2018, she has been using art not only as a form of personal expression but also as a tool for community-building and fundraising. Saivani co-founded Ubuntu Art House, a grassroots collective that creates space for emerging and marginalized artists through exhibitions and events in Ottawa and abroad (Cape Town and Mauritius). These shows support local organizations through fundraising and highlight human rights issues through creative expression. Their practice centers on decolonizing art spaces and engaging with land-based knowledge. Saivani works with natural materials, clay, textiles, and found objects, to tell ancestral stories and connect with her Mauritian heritage. Through murals, ceramics, and fibre art, and workshops Saivani aims to create safe, expressive spaces where people can connect, heal, and grow. Her work continues to evolve through collaboration with the Mauritian diaspora and Indigenous communities, where art becomes a shared language of resistance and renewal.
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Invitation
Today they may not tell you their name, but you may notice the lobes and points, the edges of their leaves, the fissures of the bark being smooth or deep. Each time you encounter them and their kin, you will get to know them more. Maybe one day you will have a name for each other.
What do you notice
What do you wonder
What do you want to remember
What can you offer
How can you honour/respect/come to know each other
What do you notice
What do you wonder
What do you want to remember
What can you offer
How can you honour/respect/come to know each other