With my exhibition now open, I thought I’d take this time to walk through some of my pieces. A virtual guidebook if you will. I’ve noticed often times it’s easy to feel either lost or bored when visiting a gallery—and I think this can be caused by two reasons: a confusing artist statement or a lack of information on the individual works. So, in an attempt to make my artwork more accessible, I created a guidebook! Here’s Part 1 

Mother Daughter: The Backstory    

            Initially, this project was supposed to be a simple collaboration between my mother and I: a process of transaction, in which she taught me the skills of quilt making. It was a meaningful concept to me. As I transitioned out of college, the act symbolized my right of passage from adolescence into adulthood. I provided the fabric, creating the designs with nature-based printmaking, and she provided knowledge of quilting—and together, we would make a quilt.

Yet, despite all my planning and research, the quilt quickly took on a meaning of its own. It changed as we changed, and like life, was unpredictable. Right when we began the project, my mom and I got hit with what I can only describe as a series of unfortunate events. From the loss of a loved one to the loss of a home, the bad news seemed endless. Then, COVID hit—and all the sudden I was back home with my parents. So, faced with difficult times, my mom and I made the best of our situation: we dove right in. When the world around us seemed to be falling apart, at least there was the quilt, providing us refuge.

Now, I realize I haven’t really explained the nature of the two quilts and their relationship to one another. And this is because I think the backstory itself has largely shaped their meaning. However, I would like to conclude Part 1 of this guidebook with a poem. It’s odd, because while I am not one for writing poetry (it’s one of my weakest areas within the arts), I couldn’t get these words out of my head. So, I finally succumbed to their pressures. In other words, here’s my best attempt of expressing the meaning of Mother Daughter.

When Edges Fray

From the beginning, Her guidance was needed.

She showed how to work the fabric.

Unite it.

A creator teaching Her creation.

She labored over the task, creating interwoven harmony.

One day it was complete. Her design finished.

Then it was the turn of the daughter.

To work the fabric.

Unite it.

Yet, edges fray.

Unraveling what was once done. She continues the process.

Lost and found.