It took over a week to complete the three arches in the central support wall at the new studio and each day I found myself rushing to the building site to see the next step. I was fascinated, took numerous pictures and marveled at the inspirational effect these structural curves had on me.
I drove home with images of rainbows, Chartres Cathedral and the Arc de Triumph floating through my head. I was trying to feel my way into an understanding of why these simple structural curves seem to have the power to make my heart expand.
I googled from many angles, read about the first arches in Mesopotamia and Persia in the 2nd millennium BC, perused pictures of the solid Roman arches of military triumph and the soaring Gothic arches of European churches. I came to understand the variety of arches and the structural significance of their efficient weight bearing capacity but it was a brief illusion to the Greco-Roman sky gods, Zeus and Jupiter, that caught my attention. Of course, arches were the turf of the sky; the daily path of the sun the moon, and the planets.This seemed a big clue for me.
When Regina, the chairperson of the weaving cooperative, saw the first brick curve under construction, she said, with a wide smile, “It is like a church.” This felt like another clue.
Then, on Friday afternoon, just as I was about to leave the site, Regina and Gertrude came over to the building site to see the weeks progress. As I watched them walk through the front door and marvel at the arches it all fell into place for me.They were looking up at the arches and the sky. I flashed on Gertrude one day long ago when I told her I’d found a job for her daughter. She spontaneously raised both arms, looked up and thanked God for this miracle. That was it! When the women of Mapusha look up they are in communication with their God. Their solace and support comes from above and the arches inspire them to look up. The simple action of raising our head, our eyes up, moves all of us from the earth to the skies, from the dense physical to the numinous realms.
Someday soon these arches will have a roof over them and their majesty will be diminished without the backdrop of a bright African sky. Two of them will be fitted with frame looms for large rugs and the weavers will be weaving within the curved spaces. But, I must thank Kevin Mitchell, the architect, for having the prescience to grace this building with three arches. The very fact of a new studio is proof of miracles and limitless possibility for the women of Mapusha. And, since the bedrock of their strong faith is their connection and communion with above I am happy that the arches will be there to remind them to look up, often! I only hope I remember as well.
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