Latrelle Maria Rostant (b.1980) was born in Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in her early teen she immigrated to the States with her mother. She studied Textiles at Rhode Island Schoo of Design, after graduating she returned a few years later to study Architecture. Currently, Latrelle is pursuing her MFA in Fiber and Materials at The School of the Art Insitute Chicago.
Diaspora Blues
“So, here you are.
Too foreign for home.
Too foreign for here,
Never enough for both.”
Ijeoma Umebinyuo
Through woven textiles, I explore what it means to be too foreign for the place I come from and the spaces I now occupy. The carnival culture of Trinidad and Tobago, where I was born, has become a space where the culture of those who were bought or came to the islands can make something that reflected the new place and culture they are now part of. Taking the prompt of adaptation I have adapted the loom to allow me to make objects, that like me, do not inherently reflect how they were made. The modular loom I created, allows me to make woven objects that not only respond to how they are warped on it. But they also respond to what I see as I am weaving on this modular loom.
My education in textiles and architecture at RISD and the time spent pursuing my MFA at SAIC has allowed me the opportunity to understand my drive for making. Looking at and understanding how tools, technique, space, and material can be used to make objects that cause me to reflect my own understanding of self. A third place that is the intersection of the place that I came from and the places that I now occupy.
Set Up Modular loom assembled.
Dressed Modular loom dressed.
Before they part 
Studio View 
