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For many years, I have been exploring the body as the primary vehicle through which we experience the world both physically and psychologically. This exploration has taken many forms from abstract plaster and wax sculptures based on interior body parts, to copper and steel "crown" sculptures and most recently structures with various fabrics such as silk and felt. Conceptually I am drawn to what is traditionally termed "women's work", the domestic and the handmade. I am intensely interested in the relationships between the microcosm of the body and the macrocosm of the universe. In series such as Loculus and Smallworlds I am exploring forms evolved from various internal growth structures such as cells, 18th century optical diagrams and celestial maps.
My interest in fabric as a sculptural form led me to research the textile work of the Miao, a little known minority goup in a remote part of southwestern China. The Miao's major art form is comprised of richly embroidered, batiked, woven and indigo dyed textiles. This clothing tells the story of the Miao migration, representes their creation myths, their heroes and echoes their animistic beliefs. Because the Miao have no written language these profoundly symbolic garments embody the entire culture with the women (who primarily wear the garments) acting as the literal carriers of that culture.
Nene Humphrey
March 2003
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