They Stood Listening

Chanee Vijay’s new collage series “The Plains” contains European hemp offcuts saved after a decade of textile production, and like all her work, explores and highlights hemp fiber's response to the elements. Using a combination of natural, bleached, and dyed hemp to echo and amplify the subtle gradients found within the natural fibers, Chanee’s choices for the pieces are rooted in her upbringing in eastern Kansas. The neutral hues, a palette preference inherited from her mother and reminiscent of the quiet, open landscape of Kansas plains, serve as a through line across each collage.

Cultivated through old-world retting methods, the hemp’s color remains at the mercy of the elements, resulting in a tapestry of hues that narrate the story of each growing season. Sunny and dry weather results in brighter hemp fiber, just as rain leads to darker hues. Within the work, flecks of raw fibers, slubs, and the diversity within the weave from the retting process are not imperfections, but celebrations of hemp’s inherent textural qualities. Just as the elements have left their mark on the hemp, they have influenced Chanee’s work, instilling a fondness for self-restraint and beauty of subdued tones. This series, then, is a chronicle of hemp fiber's heritage, a dialogue with the elements, and a reflection of the self.