KCY Story Panels Exclusively At FLOR By Eames Demetrios

As the world obsesses about downloading the best-selling novel onto their i-pad or Kindle, Californian based artist, author and film-maker, Eames Demetrios, grandson of iconic designers Charles & Ray Eames, is opting out of digital and going back to basics. He is telling his Kcymaerxthaere stories - how ancient cultures shared their tales- through craft and narratives.  

To create his make believe history of an alternative world Eames is traveling the globe installing historical but fictional plaques in America, Australia, Asia, Africa, Middle-East and Europe. He even lowered a plaque onto the ocean floor, under forty-five feet of water in the Garvellach Islands of Scotland. Currently there is 74 sites.

In February 2010, Eames first shared his stories of Kcymaerxthaere with the people of Penduka, a women's collective in Windhoek, Namibia. These skilled embroiderers, many from the San tradition, began rendering fragments of what Eames calls "disputed likenesses" of his stories.

Eames returned in the Fall of 2010 to share the stories again, discuss the work-to-date and fine tune the collaboration with the embroiderers-focusing on the imagery for three kcymaerxthaereal legends: Culev Larsze, Eliala Mei-Ning, and Kirguellin. Through physical samples and digital connection, the process continued, resulting in (literally) otherworldly embroidery panels.

Eames sent me an email the other day telling me "I am having a Kcymaerxthaere show at the FLOR store on Broadway in Santa Monica from the 16-23 December... Even though I am a bit biased, the pieces are pretty magical". And what about the name? Kcymaerxthaere's name comes from the cognate words kcymaara (meaning "the true physicality of the planet") and xthaere (which is a shape with almost an infinity of edges or dimensions-infinity minus 29 to be precise)

Only 151 pieces of each story will be available as a limited edition. Each story panel is embroidered by hand by a member of the Penduka collective. The labels on the back give the provenance and edition number. When the edition is complete, Eames will continue to work with Penduka to create products inspired by this work as a regular source of income for their community. 

To find out more about Kcymaerxthaere and the show at FLOR go here. Check it out if you are in L.A.