Marissa Perry Saints
Medium: Fiber
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About Marissa Perry Saints
Dsenyo - African Textile Handbags & Accesories
I am a painter and graphic designer by training who, as a kid, loved to sew with my babysitters and step-mom. While living in Malawi, Southern Africa, during 2006, the strong, noble women were my artistic inspiration. I would spend hours getting lost in the maze of the fabric markets, waiting for the textiles to speak to me in the moment. Walls were lined from floor to ceiling with a brilliance of color and design that could take your breath away.
I started collecting Chitenje fabrics at these markets. Chitenje is the traditional wrap-around skirt that women wear for their everyday activities; the fabric is also used as a baby sling and head covering. Moved to share the stories of the women I met in Malawi, I design handbags using Chitenje fabrics for women in the US.