On its small ceramic shell is painted the immensity of the Mediterranean Sea. The curly white and blue foam of the waves dances on its ivory back. When I look at it, the smell of sand, the soft touch of each grain of the beach in front of my house come to my mind, covering all the rancid odor of the metropolis. Touching its lucid surface makes vivid all the colors of the shore in the sunset, when my salty skin reflects the flaming sky’s nuances.  My sea turtle traveled in my suitcase to the US, bringing not only a memory but also a piece of my native land, Sicily. It looks like an ornament, a sculpture to put on a shelf, although turtles are considered charismatic symbols in my culture, because of their longevity, easygoing behavior, wisdom and patience.  My pottery miniature is also linked to the Greek artisanal ceramic tradition in Syracuse, my native city. The red and black vessels made by the Greeks during the 3rd century B.C. are exhibited in numerous museums worldwide. They show not only skills in modeling clay but also a way to save the history and the heroes, the customs of our ancestors, the values of friendship and spirituality.  On my sea turtle’s belly is written the name of a close friend who made this ornament with his talented touch and creativity. Knowing my passion for the sea and the weight of my suitcase before I left, he tried to capture the vastness of the blue sea and the beauty of my homeland in a tiny, ceramic turtle.  

– Maddalena

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant