Exhale represents the collection of experiences that create my shifting identity. The work reveals marred fibers pieced together and made beautiful through reflection in an effort to obtain peace. I believe individuals desire to cling to stability; however, these idealizations do not reflect the true nature of identity and its relationship to societal structure. This textile explores the fluctuating boundaries of identity, a disjointed, ever-evolving form.

 

Made from cotton and silk immersed in natural dye baths, my immediate external world shapes Exhale mimicking the natural forces that construct and deconstruct identity. The undulating color pattern and folds of the fabric emphasize the self’s shifting identity.