The lifespan of textiles parallels our own, evolving from newness to wear and eventual obsolescence. This creates a deep connection between fabric and the human form, with textiles symbolizing life and death cycles.
My art explores impermanence and the temporality inherent in existence, transcending time through my creations. For instance, my installation ‘Fainting Slowly’ embodies the intersection of femininity, nature, and cultural constraints. By using a knitted copper corset to bind a tree trunk, I symbolize the historical and ongoing restrictions imposed by societal norms on both women and nature. This corset, once a tool for constricting the female form, now represents the suffocating embrace of human culture on the natural world.
I use materials that span past, present, and future, highlighting intertemporal connections and the transformative journey from one state to another. For example, gold symbolizes permanence amidst the present’s transience. By juxtaposing it with fragile, ephemeral elements, gold becomes a dialogue between endurance and transience. This interplay underscores the constant transformation within my work, where materials shift states, representing the fluidity of existence.
Through chemical processes like metal oxidation, I emphasize life’s transformative nature. The transformation from raw fabric to metallized surface in my pieces symbolizes not only physical change but also an alchemical journey of the soul. By incorporating burns, cuts, and patchwork with both humble and precious materials, I initiate a metamorphosis—an ongoing cycle of decay and regeneration, highlighting the potential for rebirth and renewal within decay.
My work captures intersections of diverse materials, undergoing damage, repair, and eventual separation, freezing fleeting moments of ephemeral beauty before their inevitable dissolution. Through this process, I challenge viewers to confront the interconnection between gender inequality, environmental exploitation, and cultural oppression, urging a reexamination of these systems to restore balance on our planet.
Each piece is a testament to the transformative power of time, celebrating the beauty found in the ever-changing states of matter and life itself.