Dimitra Charamandas

Mastic, known as the tears of the mastic tree, derives from masticháo (Greek μαστιχάω, to grind the teeth). When harvested, the bark is scratched to release the resin, which hardens into tears and is collected on a bed of lime. In 2012 a large part of the mastic groves on the east aegean island of Chíos were lost to fires. More than ever, fires have become part of the reality of life both on the thresholds and in the landscapes of the global South. Harvesting tears (2024) revolves around the end and the beginning of cycles, exploring physical and mental responses to loss. How important is it to grieve an end – for a different beginning?