Ally Messer

MFA Fibers and Material Studies , 2025

We are connected to this hurting world and although it can feel hopeless and easy to remove oneself, we are all here and part of it. My practice is defined by connection. Slow, repetitive processes such as stop-motion animation, needle-felting, and paper mache necessitate a mindful connection to the present moment and the world around me. The act of felting individual fibers, both wool and paper, to create stronger wholes speaks to a greater material poetry of solidarity.

Humans are just one point on a webbed ecosystem which branches further than imagination allows. My work extends beyond an anthropocentric lens, asking the viewer to approach the world with the hope that if you look close enough, you might see the magical, queer, complex connections between us all. Drawing inspiration from communities of flora, fauna, and fungi and their expressions of care and reciprocity, my work aims to bring attention to more-than-human models of hope and their potential to teach us how to better support one another in this time of ecological crisis. Whether through generous sharing of resources or protection from harm, species-not-our-own can act as role models for a world desperate for unity; if we only take a moment to listen.