The series The Untangled Tales is an ongoing project that visualises stories of hope and resilience, and highlights traditions that give us a glimpse into the years of slavery and beyond. Different forms of code languages such as the stories of Anansi the spider, work songs and later traditionally folded headscarves called ‘angisa’ play an important role.
‘Fourteen leaves and a cup of water’ is about the enslaved people's extensive knowledge of flora. Using this knowledge as a tool of power, some of them managed to poison their oppressors. It is this deep-rooted plant knowledge that enabled them to escape the cruel conditions on
the plantation and survive in Suriname's densely forested rainforest.