There are always threads

This series stems from journal entries of mine that I’ve made over the years. They are of various memories and incidents from my past that I would put into my sketchbook at night as illustrations in a magic realism style. During Covid I became curious about the documentation of human experience and looking back on these journals, I embarked on an experiment to breathe life into the images and realize them in physical form.

In this series, I am drawing from the past, transmuting the emotion of memories via visual language into tangible forms. Growing up in a fractured family environment, with the backdrop of the severity and mystery of Catholicism woven into every day life, my memories are a tapestry of childhood innocence and trauma, the ghosts of family history, faith and the supernatural, judgement and redemption.

My background in clothing design provides the foundation for this project. Working with fiber has long been my medium and a very comfortable mode of expression for me - an instinctual method of communication. Creating each vignette, I am immersed in the process of repetitive draping, pleating, and tucking of fabric and yarn. It becomes a meditation as I breathe life into each memory. The fabric is draped on the dress form like skin and the entire process becomes almost a purging of the raw emotion and memory that is the inspiration for each scene. 

The dress form, my chosen canvas, is a silent protagonist in the narrative. A representation of my personal experiences, but also a witness to the stories. The careful composition suggests a way for the viewer to look upon each scene as if looking in a mirror. 

I am transforming emotion and memory into fiber while exploring universal themes of femininity, identity, family history, and trauma. The dress form becomes a symbol of identity and the human experience, and how that can become a testament to resilience and healing.