Portfolio

I use embroidery, quilting, and drawing to explore themes of identity, connection, and communication. My work portrays emotionally charged situations and relationships between the internal/private and the external/public. The tension between my desire to share personal information with my need for privacy manifests in work that blends humor, earnestness, and irreverence and often involves some level of concealing or obscuring. I frequently choose to work in embroidery because the slow process of stitching allows me time to reflect and process complex emotions and provides a sense of control and intimacy. It also serves as an embodied practice that prompts me to explore my experience with chronic illness and confront internalized ableism. A hallmark of chronic illness is seeing many doctors who give many diagnoses but still may not fully understand what’s going on in your body. My most recent work tries to evoke what it’s like to attempt to make sense of things that don’t make sense.

In addition to making my own art, I also facilitate collaborative community-based art projects, in which I specifically employs textiles practices such quilting because of their long history as activities that bring individuals together to share stories, address community issues, and even serve as a form of activism.