Artist Statement

Exploring the potential for textiles to record and protect, my work examines the fragility and resilience of the human body and our vital need for human connection. It investigates the possibility of immortality, the commemoration of touch, and the thresholds between us. Underscored by the paradox of queer safety and visibility, my practice addresses the vulnerability and self-preservation negotiated during human interaction.

My research is rooted in the historical functions of textiles as protective shields, storytelling artifacts, and signifiers of identity, belonging, and value. Viewing the textile as an extension of my own body or a surrogate for someone else’s, I use materials and make objects that imitate skin, acting as protective yet permeable membranes that can absorb our experiences and bear the scars of our encounters. With materials that range from brittle eggshells to resilient Kevlar, I create garments that simultaneously encourage, protect against, and document moments of physical interaction between people.

My practice itself is sustained by the engagement of other people - through donations of stories or materials, direct physical interaction, or participation in a workshop. As a result, I make objects and experiences that act as connective tissue - artifacts that attempt to remember and be remembered.