Artist Statement:

This piece is a woven tapestry that explores the relationship between women and textiles. Throughout history in every type of society women are given the “feminine” role of creating textiles, whether that be clothing, blankets, or rugs. I am inspired by the diligence and the beautiful work of these women. Works like these are often diminished, seen as domestic work and not artwork. Even as I was working on this piece, I had it laid out on the floor and my father walked by and stepped on it. When I asked him not to do that, he said it's “just fabric”. He says it's meant for him to walk on. He completely disregarded the weeks of work and countless hours I spent working on my tapestry. People will continue to diminish the work of women and refer to it as “just” this or “just” that. The works created were always made for function and never made to be admired in the same way a painting was.

Weaving was a medium that I had never explored before this project, so there were many learning curves I had to get over. I feel very connected to this process as I made everything, down to the loom where I wove the tapestry. I made the loom out of four wooden beams that I drilled together and hammered nails on opposite ends of the beams in order to stretch my strings. The actual process of weaving is me interlacing threads together in order to create one continuous piece of fabric. For my materials I used various colors, sizes, and textures of yarn. I wanted to be able to see and feel how they interacted with each other. After the actual weaving process I went back and embroidered different beads and sequins to add to the color and texture. The color scheme that I chose is one that I am naturally drawn to regardless of medium. I've always been attracted to these vibrant and playful colors.