Date of Award

Spring 6-3-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Department

Printmaking

First Advisor

Megan Foster and Andrew Raftery

Second Advisor

Anna McNeary

Third Advisor

Kelly Taylor Mitchel

Abstract

As an experimental multidisciplinary artist, my creative process draws inspiration from daily experiences and encounters with the mundane. I am particularly interested in West African textile cultural practices, specifically the use of symbols and basic geometric forms to communicate through materials (specifically fabrics) and the role these images and forms play in African culture. In my work, I am developing my own distinct vocabulary of symbols and patterns, inspired by these practices.

My artistic practice explores a wide range of themes related to women, sustainability, loss, everydayness, wear and tear, degeneration, the transitory nature of life, and material effects, often through the repurposing of household fabrics. Through experimentation with layering, repetition, and investing my creative process, I aim to contribute to the conversation around gender and societal expectations that persists in our current world, while also engaging in a personal search for identity and belonging.

This thesis will examine my practice, including my sources of inspiration and artistic process, to explore how I respond to the themes that particularly interest me, and how my work contributes to the ongoing dialogue of contemporary art practices.

Ultimately, I aim to use my art to challenge traditional societal gender and patriarchal norms and empower myself and the women around me.

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