Ancestral Legacy

Medium

gathered textiles

Dimensions

28"H × 20"W

Year

2026

Pieced entirely by hand, I began this piece at a residency in rural Italy. I showed up with nothing to wear or work on - my suitcase was stolen the first day of my trip. A local family gave me fabric and I was restored by forest walks where I admired the resilience and beauty of what was around me - as I was there, I spent time thinking about the legacy of women in my history. As I worked, I began this ancestral family tree - it was a week before I toured as a teacher to the small country of Moldova. While I was in Moldova, I learned that my ancestral legacy includes a seamstress from the city I was teaching in.