“Weaving old memories to new beginnings, my life is constantly recreating itself. While death felt inevitable, a rebirth into a new life has been appreciated over and over again”. – Emily Tonelli

Emily Tonelli explores the ancient myths that traverse both personal and collective histories, intricately threading them through the weave of pearls, wire, and flowers. Her works, at once fragile and unyielding, evoke the metamorphic journey of mythological figures, such as the mortal Arachne from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, who was transformed into a spider after claiming that her talent surpassed that of Athena, the goddess of weaving.

The spider, a figure of both creation and destruction, becomes a symbol of patience, resilience, and the invisible forces that shape our lives. Suspended in a web spun from intuition and instinct, it knows the value of stillness —not as absence, but as a powerful presence, an essential pause in the rhythm of life.

Drawing inspiration from her studies in anthropology and Egyptology, the artist explores themes of cultural heritage and transformation, evoking a deep connection to both the past and present. The florals woven into her works speak to an ancient understanding of symbolism and craftsmanship, while simultaneously grounding her in the contemporary moment.

A Spider’s Guide to Stillness delves into the poetry of immobility, urging viewers to reconsider what it means to be still in a world of constant flux. By capturing the essence of this mythological transformation, from destruction to rebirth, Emily Tonelli’s delicate sculptures show how stillness is not a retreat but a form of transformation.

Just as spiders weave their own pearls of comfort and foundation amidst great tribulation, Tonelli’s works speak to the human capacity to find stability in even the most precarious circumstances. Each web she creates mirrors the ways in which individuals navigate their own cycles of destruction and renewal. It is a reminder that even in the face of inevitable change or fate, there is beauty in the act of weaving our own stories, one strand at a time.

Louise des Places