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Upcoming exhibition
"Transformations" by Lisa Denerstein
 Artist Statement
Lisa Denerstein
The purpose of my work is to tell a story. Most are stories of hope, new beginnings and transition. Color and fabric are the vocabulary through which I express myself. Fabric art takes time and patience.
Often I don't understand the story I'm telling in the early stages of planning. However, by the completion of the quilt or wall hanging, the message is clear. And even though the process is filled with uncertainties and obstacles, divine guidance allows me to move forward.
For me, quilts and wall hangings are both functional and conceptual.
This understanding allows me to take conventional color and fabric and create a unique statement. The techniques of painting and sewing follow the artists' standard methods of transforming the familiar into something abstract, vibrant and at times challenging. As for me, this process is a metaphor for spiritual transformation. Griot is an African word used to describe a traditional village story teller, a figure whose role seems to have been forgotten in our age of technology. Fabric art allows me to revisit this custom of sharing stories, while also inspiring me to teach others how to make their own "fabric griot."
Quilting and fabric art are the channels through which I discover and communicate spiritual insights, as well as a way to manifest growth, which -- in the largest sense -- is based on a faith in humanity's continual evolution.
The Transformation Series was born from my determination to find the inner strength to overcome a devastating loss. As I began to work, it seemed only natural that butterflies – creatures born of transformation – would become the symbolic muse that helped me create this collection. The butterfly offered me comfort and reminded me that terrible change can be followed by tremendous growth and sometimes even by beauty. Through my work, I was able to gain insight into the power of transformation and a respect for the strength of the human spirit, even when confronting death. Stitch by stitch, we must learn to move on.
Last Published: March 20, 2008 6:40 PM
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