Alba Ophelia

This week we have challenged teacher and slow creator Alba Ophelia to choose 11 items that represents her and her life in the past, present and future!

One item that represents your childhood: Stuffed Fox Terrier dogs

"When I was little, my sister and I had two stuffed Fox Terrier dogs with which we used to play every day. They were dressed up with brown knitted clothes made by my grandma, and my mum created a personality for each of them and would put voices and talk to us through them. I can still remember my mum’s voice whenever I look at the dogs, which still are (and will always be) in our bedroom. They were simply more than toys: they have accompanied us through our childhood, and maybe because they were filled with a part of my grandma and mum’s soul, they were just part of the family."

One item that represents your nationality: Handmade Galician pottery

"I’m from Galicia, in the north of Spain. Even if Spain is kind of a small country, it’s very rich in terms of different cultures, and when you move from one community to another, you may even feel you are in a very different place. Unlike the idea that may pop up in most people’s heads when they think about Spain, Galicia is known by its rainy weather, its bright green landscapes and its rough sea. Galician legends about witches and mermaids are always present when you cross a forest or hear the sound of the waves. And hence this mysterious and magical nature is translated into Galician art. This Sargadelos shell-shaped cup of coffee -handmade Galician pottery- is a good example of it. It symbolises the richness of the Atlantic Ocean, it could be part of a mermaid’s treasure."

One item that represents your biggest passion: My Pre-Raphaelite Art book.

"I've been passionate about art since I was a teenager. It is not only my hobbie, but also my therapy. Some years ago, I became interested on Pre-Raphaelite art, especially paintings depicting the femme fatale through the representation of strong and ambiguous women from literature, mythology or history. My favourite one is Ophelia, by John Everett Millais, which also appears on the cover of my book. The ambiguity surrounding the Shakespearean heroine has never stopped calling my attention, to the point that I did my degree final project about her and have even taken her own name."

One item that represents your highest ambition in life: My box of memories

"Inside, there are souvenirs from places I’ve visited in my 20s, plays I’ve seen, museums I’ve visited, etc. It is full of maps, brochures, tickets, bookmarks, guidebooks… My highest ambition in life is knowledge and personal growth, and all those experiences have transformed and enriched my soul the most."

One item that represents your current mood: My grandma’s vintage watch

"This year, we have lived through a situation that has changed us in many ways. The reason why a watch could represent my current mood is a consequence of this. We have been proved how precious every minute in our life is. The watch is a reminder of how fast time goes by, a reminder that we should be aware of those things that surround us and make us feel lucky. The fact that this one has belonged to my grandma is also a symbol of my mood. The lockdown has made me miss my family more than ever before, and now I know that I want to spend as many seconds, minutes, hours with them as a watch can count."

One item that represents your favourite person: Moor heads from Caltagirone

"In 2016, when Covid-19 wasn’t still a thing, I travelled to Sicily with my favourite person. It was such a dreamy trip, and we were amazed by the island’s wide variety of cultural influences throughout history. One of the places we visited was Caltagirone, known by its traditional pottery. We bought two traditional female and male “moor heads” there, thought to be put together."

One item that represents your style: My oversized vintage blazers

"The blazer is an empowering piece of clothing and wearing them (with everything!) makes me feel strong and confident. I like to break gender rules and introduce traditional menswear to my everyday outfits, sometimes combined with more traditionally feminine pieces, such as pearls or big hoops. Also, a very important part of my wardrobe are vintage timeless pieces, as I like to dress in accordance to my principles and beliefs. I care a lot about sustainability, and thus building my aesthetic and style using pre-loved or thrifted pieces sounds like the most reasonable option."

One item that represents your greatest fear: A cage

"I didn’t need to think much about this one. My greatest fear is losing my freedom. I’m a very independent woman, and the feeling that I’m free is one of the things that empower me the most. I hate feeling trapped and I tend to escape from situations that make me feel that way."

One item that represents your profession: A seed

"I’m a teacher, so I’m going to say that a seed could represent my profession. Someone once said that teachers are just like gardeners who patiently need to water the seeds (of very different plants, with very different needs). Just like a good teacher, a good gardener knows that they can’t make plants grow. Plants grow themselves, and our job is just creating the right conditions for our students to blossom."

One item that represents the past year: F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

"Some weeks ago, before 2021 began, I was talking to one of my friends about 2020. I was telling her that I had watched Friends that day. Particularly, The One with the Routine, where (SPOILER ALERT) Joey plots to kiss Janine at midnight in a New Year’s Eve television special. When the countdown starts he gets ready to what’s coming, takes a deep breath and… “three, two, one… cut!” the manager cuts the scene before they get to kiss. Joey yells “NO!” and then tries to fix it by saying “Happy NO year!”. When I was watching the scene, I thought “well, this has indeed been a “no year”. All our plans got cancelled, and we had to “stop living” for a while. But then, I thought about all the things I have learnt this year, how -paradoxically- stopping living made me realise how I want my life to be. 2020 has been healing in some ways, just as watching F.r.i.e.n.d.s. on repeat is!"

One item that represents you: My grandpa’s blood type pendant

"Wow, this one was hard to answer, because what represents me the most is that I am an extremely multifaceted person. I’m going to say that an item that can represent be is my grandpa’s blood type pendant. My grandpa and I have a very special connection. We look alike, celebrate our birthdays together, our favourite activity is swimming in the sea and… we have the same blood type. So last summer he gave me this blood type pendant from when he was young and I loved it!"