K. Tavlinne
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Banana Leaf
Cre
Photography by Vashnie Persaud. For the set, I draped layers of green fabric to evoke the texture and movement of leaves, blending them seamlessly with fresh banana leaves to create an immersive, living environment. This visual world was paired with written pieces reflecting on the cultural and spiritual significance of the banana leaf — its role in ceremony, its connection to survival, and its ability to hold both the weight of history and the beauty of the present. The result is a work that embodies the warrior spirit of ritual while honoring the gentle, flowing nature of the leaf itself.
Banana Leaf — Inspired by the song Come Mr. Tally Man, Tally Me Banana — once sung as a lullaby of survival during slavery — this piece carries the weight of history and the resilience of spirit. In Indo-Caribbean culture, and especially within Hindu traditions, banana leaves are central to ritual: used in offerings, as plates to hold sacred food, and as a connection between the earth and the divine. I have watched these leaves laid out with care, their broad green surfaces cradling both sustenance and prayer. In this set, I sought to embody both the warrior spirit present in these rituals and the graceful flow of the leaf itself — a visual honoring of survival, ceremony, and cultural continuity.
