The story…

Fractured is a representation of cultural identity that comes with assimilation into western culture. As a multi-ethnic woman, the artist’s heritage became blended with the arrival of her Spanish ancestry in the 15th century to North America. The interweaving between Indigenous Mexica & Spanish birthed a new culture. In the centuries that followed, with her Tohono O’odham background being disguised as to not stand out in rising American culture, her family lost their language, traditions & cultural practice. To focus on weaving this element of her family back together, she has created one tapestry uniting the fracture through her process of reconnection. She births beauty by integrating all of who she is rather than fighting the history of how she came to be.

The process….

Woven on an upright frame loom, the warp is based out of white cotton. One side was constructed with cotton, vintage spools of merino wool, alpaca & boucle for texture. The center design, a brown Tussar silk heart was split by a black cotton fracture to reflect the symbology of the story. Horsehair & agave fibers were woven in to incorporate materials traditionally found in baskets from the O’odham weavers from the 1950s onwards. The work was hand-combed to create a tight weave with no negative space throughout. Once the 5×5’ loom was set on it’s side to release the tension, it was cut with the warp tied into knots along the top.

Dimensions: 

47x43”