Femmage: Portraits of the Female Aesthetic

Femmage is a term coined by Miriam Shapiro who was a pioneering force in the Pattern & Decoration movement beginning in the 1950’s. With this word, she wanted to include the traditional methods practiced by women such as sewing, piecing, cutting, applique, and cooking in a historical and art making context.

Throughout my artistic journey, I have grown in my appreciation and recognition of the decorative arts and the skill and knowledge of women who pioneered the movement with not much else than thread, cherished scraps of fabric, letters, and personal collections, and the inspiration and passion to persist in the authenticity of their work.

Each of my collages are created using fabrics, papers, paint, and other cherished objects collected over time. The subject matter centers around women of all cultures as we thread together our unity in expressing our creativity, developing artistic skills through resourcefulness and using collage to shape and layer our own unique visual diaries and traditions.