As a child, I watched my mother toil away at her sewing machine for hours. It seemed obvious that sewing was a chore, just another task to complete. As a grew up, I witnessed a fascinating transformation in my mother: she began sewing for the act of creating. Sewing offered her an escape from illness. Sewing brought comfort and relaxation, not duty and obligation. This inspired me to experiment with thread and needle in my work. I immediately fell in love with the soothing, repetitive act of stitching. I feel a connection to the artisans who have fought to elevate textile art, challenging historical preconceptions of embroidery and classifications of “high” and “low” art. Crafting these hand-stitched works provides endless opportunities to explore the possibilities within needlework. My work pays homage to the heritage of textile craft while also focusing on the contemporary practice of exploratory work.

I combine color, geometric shapes, and symmetry to create compositions of harmony and invite the viewer to take a closer look. My use of precision reflects my personal love for order and structure. Watercolor papers are stitched, cut, and layered, creating windows of depth within the work. I choose shapes based on historical and cultural meanings, pairing them with personal interpretation. Creating artwork that explores themes of everyday thoughts, feelings, and experiences is my passion. It is through these works on commonality that I hope to achieve a sense of personal connection that is comforting, empathetic, and familiar to those who view it.

Upon close inspection, I want to surprise the viewer with lines made of thread rather than lead; to entice the viewer to come closer and reward them with the details. I invite you to come closer.