Virginia Postrel states," The story of textiles encompasses beauty and genius, excess and cruelty, social hierarchies and subtle workarounds, peaceful trade and savage wars, hidden in very piece of fabric are the actions of the curious, clever and desiring men and women, past and present, known and unknown, from every corner of the globe''. I am forever indebted to the women of my ancestral home who introduced me to the world of textiles, I learnt embroidery from my aunts, my paternal grandmother and my mother. Years ago my grandmother's home was full of female embroiderers' who taught me the value of a well-told story through their craft/art and so it is the stories held in objects that I cherish. Rituals using Fabric, fascinated me especially the rituals before cutting the cloth for special occasions like weddings or folding, tying and wrapping clothes for protection. These were not only mere rituals, they defined the way we value our surroundings, our lives. After moving to New York my work started exploring and comparing rituals of the two cultures, the role of women, concepts of feminism in east and west and my identity as a female immigrant living between the past and present cultures.
Embroidery provided the impetus to revisit memories,
unravelling stories laden with metaphors and meanings. I feel our lives and textiles are synonymous and my studio practice explores this relationship.