Permanent Press

Through a printmaking and fibers practice, I transform imagery of my daily actions, reshaping moments of domestic maintenance into elegant gestures. The hands become a tool- not for cleaning the bathroom or putting away the laundry- but for creative exploration in the studio. Woven, carved, or printed, the abundance of vibrant hands overlap and interact with one another creating a choreography of gestures. This community of one person's actions is at times visually overwhelming and chaotic, yet still outwardly joyful. The prints rest upon wooden structures, resembling pieces in a domestic setting. In this way the work itself is given a place to relax, while simultaneously resembling the overwhelmed moment of a person's mid laundry run with nowhere left to hang dry.   

By printing my quotidian gestures, the seemingly cheerful compositions began to carry more weighted meditations. I aim to celebrate as well as expose the mental and physical labors of women's everyday lives. Upholding impossible standards and spreading myself thin through multitasking rarely allows for a moment of rest. Though I understand this desire to “have it all” is rooted in generations of misogyny and capitalism, I remain entangled in the pursuit. In this complicated emotional landscape, I enjoy being busy and often thrive under pressure.  

Through the artmaking processes I reflect on the sense of accomplishment and joy derived from anxiety-inducing systems of labor. While my work examines exhaustion and expectation, the physical act of carving and printing grounds me. The repetition becomes meditative rather than frantic. The studio becomes a space where labor shifts from imposed expectation to chosen devotion. In that distinction, joy emerges—not as compliance, but as reclamation.