August 31, 2015 | Posted in:Vellum News

 

Michelle Kingdom uses embroidery to stitch psychological narratives about gender, relationships and coming of age. Her figurative creations focus on the passing of time through what appears mostly as tiny female figures. These works tell stories which somehow speak mostly to an inner voice and provoke introspection in the viewer. They reveal the unspoken in awkward situations or matters of the heart which is universal. Sometimes she shows this universality by creating groups of what appear to be variations of the same person experiencing the same action. Her delicate sewing and choice of specific colors also play a part in the process. She uses thread as her line, color as texture and hoop as her sketch pad. This adds up to small works which are informed just as much by painting as craft. The minimal forms become messengers of understanding and hope even in the face of difficult situations. Some are straightforward in scope others are more objective seeming to ponder life’s purpose and goal. The threads become part of the narrative connecting and restraining in some instances. There is a nice balance between concept and process which uses a different medium to convey age old mysteries about life and love.