The world had been delivered when I found tapestry as a multi-disciplinary artist in 2006. Since then, my focus has been to visually record urban narratives through woven, shaped, mixed-media tapestry which I create on large 4-harness floor looms. The visual translation of thought and memory on and off the grid helps usher in a re-negotiation of my past and accords me with a sense of power and perspective I once thought had vanished.
I became self-taught through trial and error. I had no rules because I'd never been taught any. This allowed me the freedom to develop techniques and shape my work the way I imagined it, tempting the traditional forms of tapestry to follow infinite directions. I use a pulled-warp technique to shape my work and create slit-tapestry to create disjointedness throughout the landscape of the tapestry. I hand-dye some of my fiber and use mostly hand-dyed natural materials like wool, silk, cotton, and linen, I also use unconventional materials that are either found or re-purposed to enhance the narrative.
Growing up in Oakland during the peak of the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 90s, I was surrounded by the vibrance of camp/hip-hop fashion, urban decay covered by street art, abandoned apartment stores, pigeon and human shit, crime, busted car windows, the best people, music blasting everywhere, and all coupled with a stunning—foggy bay backdrop. My translations into tapestry have all been informed by that beautiful, heavy environment and the urban mystic.