Held

works on paper

2011-2015

In my work, I explore themes of connection / isolation, universality / specificity, and personal / political transformation. Held is a series of collaborative mixed media works that explore moments of personal connection and support. In this series, participants write anonymous answers to the question, “What is a burden you are carrying?” Those “burdens” are placed within abstract mixed media drawings of water, stone, and connective thread, as if mapping internal landscapes. Sometimes the words can be read, if the participant wanted to share their answer with viewers. Other times, I sew over the words with thread to create an object that holds a burden without exposing it. Similarly, my piece Wish and Release invites viewers to sew wishes and burdens written on paper onto a drawing shrouded in fabric, creating a literal intersectionality of individual truths.

Held is informed by the two years I spent as a crisis counselor on the LA Rape and Battering Hotline. In that time, I witnessed and held many burdens. The act of telling seemed to have a healing effect on callers, and anonymity was helpful - I was an unknown voice on the other end of the line, or someone they had just met in a hospital room and would never see again. In the aftermath of that experience, I am still grappling with questions about what it would look like to live in a society that prioritized emotional health, how both telling and listening can be transformative, and the potential of art to further personal connection. This series aims to offer a space for healing as part of a critical exploration of the larger systems and universal experiences that isolate and connect us.

Held No. 2

Graphite, thread, paper, and wood.
12” x 12” | 2015

Held No. 3

Graphite, thread, paper, and wood.
12” x 12” | 2015

Held No. 1

Graphite, thread, paper, and wood.
12” x 12” | 2015