The action of ‘wear’ can refer to placing something on one’s body, but it also refers to the damage and destruction resulting from heavy use. As a textile is worn and lived in, it becomes like an extension of the body. The material evolves through the slow build-up of hair, skin, sweat, fluids, and experiences. It can grow and shed and change along with us.
I treat cloth as a documentation of existence. I manipulate the textiles through deconstruction and reconstruction – echoing the decay and accumulation that occurs through wear. There is a dual nature in sewing: violently puncturing and tearing, but also fixing, bringing together and making whole. My work uses lived-in materials and unrefined embroidery to present portraits that reflect on the complexity of people and their lives.