Uncomfortable in his own skin, artist Toni Garau fled his native Mallorca as a troubled teenager, but it was his return to this rocky island as an out man that was the defining moment in his life. Intricate, complex and beautiful, his work today is an elaborate weaving together of the stories and lives of his fellow islanders, reflecting his own new-found sense of identity and belonging.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wandering around Pollen\u00e7a, I happened upon some gorgeous, quintessentially Mallorcan fabrics. The sight of them stopped me in my tracks, as they were not dissimilar to those made in the long-houses of my native Borneo. Imagine my surprise, then, to find that they\u2019re called the same thing here in the Balearics as on my island halfway across the world \u2013 \u2018ikat\u2019, from the native Dayak word meaning to tie or weave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Delving further into the history of ikat, it turns out that the fabric\u2019s roots are actually in the Far East. When Silk Route merchants took time out to relax in Mallorca, just as travellers like us do today, the islanders fell in love with the fabrics and adopted them for themselves. The rusty reds of my people\u2019s cloths were inspired by their surroundings; and here on Mallorca, the ikats are blue and white, echoing the beauty of the sky and sea. It\u2019s amazing how much your environment<\/strong><\/a> can inspire you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fabric and textiles are at the heart of the work of Toni Garau, an artist as well as a graphic and industrial designer. A proud Mallorcan, from S\u00f3ller in the northwest of the island, Toni is entrenched in raising the awareness of the history and impact the textile industry have had in his hometown. Through his art, he\u2019s keen to honour a whole generation of labourers that made S\u00f3ller and, on a greater level, Mallorca itself what they are today. His message is about growth, strength and resilience \u2013 about the S\u00f3lleric community and its industries \u2013 and the medium he\u2019s chosen is wholly textile. I guess it lets one weave in a good yarn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I catch up with Toni as he prepares for his next exhibition at ABA ART LAB in Palma. His studio is in the middle of the S\u00f3ller Valley, between orange trees and fruit orchards. It\u2019s a beautiful set-up and the only place, he tells me, where he\u2019s able to disconnect from everything and immerse himself in his art. He\u2019s excited to share that it\u2019s here that he realised that this next body of work is going to be much more minimalist than his current.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m usually all about looms, plotters, heddles, shuttles and warp beams,\u201d he says, \u201cthe tools of the trade that have been left forgotten and no longer weave the memory of the common people. In my previous works, you\u2019ll see threads that go inside and out, over and under. They cross and weave intricately with each other; sometimes purposefully, but at other times without any apparent direction. These threads tell great stories and span generations, keeping the memory and the collective history of our small town in the Serra de Tramuntana alive. In my upcoming collection, I want to present the thread in its pure form.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This story first appeared in The Magnificent Mallorca Issue<\/a><\/strong> available in print and digital. I\u2019m compelled to ask Toni about his childhood and what it was like being OutThere in a small town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI knew that I liked men even as a teenager and, honestly, I did everything possible to suppress it because I didn\u2019t want to become the big gay fish in a small pond. I held it all in until I went to university, where I persuaded myself to come out. I have a very normal family and knew they would accept me as I am. My challenge was far more personal \u2013 learning to accept myself. But since I turned that on its head, it\u2019s no longer been a problem and I\u2019ve been infinitely happier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy concept of happiness is far from linear, though,\u201d he adds. \u201cMy rural upbringing meant I was able to enjoy many other aspects of being young and carefree. I liked being on my own, finding deserted places, looking for four-leaf clovers and ladybugs with odd numbers of spots, sitting out all night to watch a meteor shower, chasing sheep (or rather them chasing me). I grew up in direct contact with nature, a special Mallorcan nature that was all around me. Plus, I can tell you where the Great Bear is.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n We both agree that this is what\u2019s missing from many childhoods these days. Perhaps it\u2019s a sign that I\u2019m ageing, but I really do feel that having the ability, the experience of getting in touch with your surroundings creates an awakened sensitivity and profound love for all that\u2019s around us. We notice things more and take a lot more from it. Toni\u2019s upbringing in S\u00f3ller has certainly influenced his life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has shaped the man I am today: hard-working, committed, sensitive and concerned about the environment and the world we live in. I was in Barcelona for four years and another in Madrid. I left home because my adolescent soul was demanding adventure. I wanted to push my limits in the big city. But I realised that it was actually in Mallorca that I lived adventures and crossed the geographic and social boundaries. That\u2019s why I came back to my beloved, rocky island.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Set in a valley and surrounded by mountains, S\u00f3ller was isolated from the rest of the island for a long time. The only way to reach Palma was by boat or by a long and hazardous road, the infamous mountain pass called Coll de S\u00f3ller. That\u2019s why S\u00f3llerics were dedicated to trade \u2013 especially by sea \u2013 with Barcelona and France. To these neighbouring countries, they exported fresh Mallorcan produce \u2013 oranges, lemons, almonds, olives and figs \u2013 and from there they brought furniture, fashion and a French flavour still present in the architecture and aesthetics of this little municipality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, in 1865 a terrible plague ruined the orange and lemon trees of the valley and the only economic future for many peasants was to emigrate to France or America. When the citrus business recovered at the beginning of the 20th century, many returned to Mallorca with their pockets full of New World money. They built homes on the Gran Via that resembled French Art Nouveau buildings or the colonial houses of South America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a consequence, S\u00f3ller has a somewhat more \u2018European\u2019 vibe. Not that I\u2019d ever say that out loud. From my short time on the island, I\u2019ve worked out that Mallorcans \u2013 and folk from S\u00f3ller, in particular \u2013 are quite passionate about where they\u2019re from. Don\u2019t ever call them Catalan, for instance. Especially with the recent goings-on, they\u2019re keen to distance themselves from that, putting it down to something they haplessly inherited, but have since evolved away from. I ask Toni why he feels being from the island is something so special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite difficult to define our identity. We\u2019re quite reserved compared with other red-blooded Spaniards \u2013 probably because we don\u2019t feel very comfortable talking about our inner selves. But, while we may not define ourselves, that doesn\u2019t put us in any existential anguish, because inside we know very well who we are. We\u2019re people who, in a selfless way, come together in associations and collective groups to defend our traditions, our roots and our culture. I think that\u2019s what holds us together. We\u2019re all born with eyes that are nourished by and worship the blue sea and the year-round sunshine. Yes, you get this in all the other Balearic islands, alongside picture-postcard villages, lighthouses and beautiful landscapes. But there\u2019s something about Mallorca that makes it extra special. Here, I can be myself, develop and show my art in cosmopolitan Palma and, yet, find a small bay and dive into the water with my boyfriend and dog and break away from the world. I have found in diving one of my greatest escapes for disconnecting and relaxing. Under the sea, among the fish, rocks, algae and all kinds of marine life, I find the peace that I need. There, I\u2019m able to extricate myself from my problems and take pleasure in enjoying a sport that entertains me and helps me in equal measure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite his belief that it\u2019s hard to pinpoint the Mallorcan identity, Toni often coins his art as distinctively Mallorcan. Characteristically, his latest piece of work, Fil<\/em>, tells a story of his hometown. His art is from the island and of the island. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.outthere.travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Facebook-shop_Mallorca-1024x1024.jpg\")
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