Joya: AiR / Emily Zadoretzky / USA
photo Simon Beckmann
Joya: AiR / Emily Zadoretzky / USA
“The warmth of Joya lingers, long after my feet have touched home soil.
I am filled with gratitude, for the opportunity to be in this place and with this place, for the water, especially in times of drought, for the land and the found community. I am so grateful to Donna and Simon, for their hospitality and how they hold space for artistic exploration and presentation of ideas and work. I found the whole atmosphere and experience of my time at Joya to be wonderfully welcoming and generous.
My work and practice is very much materials-based and rooted in process, with a focus on sustainability and circularity. For my time at Joya, I brought very little with me in terms of supplies; I immersed myself in a sense of the place and explored the grounds, hills, soils, flora, fauna, wind, air, scents and sense of stillness. It was as if time slowed down. I was able to sit and just be; I let the place wash over me and guide me.
Through walks, hikes, and meandering strolls, I gathered soils, bits of charcoal leftover from fires, olive fruit, sticks, stems, fallen plant debris, and sap oozing from pine trees. I observed, I ground things up, I played. I experimented with making tempera paints mixing earth pigments with egg yolk as a binder, painting Joya-inspired motifs. I gathered up bits of plants to create a weaving, utilizing water saved from my shower to soak the plant materials before pouring it over parched bamboo.
Notions of kinship, explored in my practice, were abundant at Joya. Echos were found in the gift of each absolutely delicious meal, graciously prepared by Donna every evening. Such a luxury. Echos were found in the cooperative atmosphere of after-dinner clean-up, the sharing of wine and observations, of walks and hikes and evening star-gazings or gatherings around the fire. Nothing was wasted. Resources were shared. Mindfulness was ample.
As my residency neared its end I felt a bittersweet and simultaneous longing for home and family coupled with a feeling that I was about to leave a new home. Joya’s warmth had flowed into my heart. I am so grateful”.