Ritual Altar: India Pink, In Memoriam, 2022
Mixed media: cloth, clothing, liquid pigment, candle, paintings on paper, pins
94 x 8 x 39 in

Exhibited in Naples, Italy

Drawn to fabrics in the market in Naples, Sykes collected elements to create an installation referencing stages in a women’s life. From a young girl’s first menstrual staining, to budding sexuality, to the archetypal bride, each image and piece of fabric evokes a different character. With pink pigment given to her by her collaborator and close friend Teresa Mangiacapra, Sykes successively soaked cloth to create a structure of gradated color that anchors the altar. Rita Felerico performed poetry from her book Nudarsi along with Antonia Cerullo, during its exhibition.