My background in fashion relied on the use of sewing machines as tools to create garments made of new materials. My current artmaking has evolved away from the body and functionality to become relief sculptures in cloth. This work is the embodiment of moments in time and space that have stopped me mid-stride, compelling me to closely examine the details. As a fine artist, I translate these observations of nature into my art by using a needle and thread to hand stitch on reclaimed cloth. I invite the viewers to pause, wonder, and think about their place in the world.

This work is a developing portrait of women workers who are involved in labor rights advocacy within the context of the maquiladora (assemblage factory) industry in Mexico. I have traveled to do research in Mexico by making photographs and through collecting recorded testimonies from the women workers I come to meet through an organization called the Comité Fronterizo de Obreras. The resulting artwork I make includes photographs, handmade books, video, sculpture and works on paper. Ultimately, my translation of the empowerment and stories of these women workers into works of art are at the center of my practice.

This research project studies ways that space shapes identity by examining a contemporary sculpture using a multicultural theory. The author focuses on analyzing the role of physical space in the construction of cultural identity across time by studying Mariana Castillo-Deball’s No Solid Form Can Contain You (2010) through Gloria Anzaldua’s Nepantilism theory.

With this work, I investigate the mental and physical toll of the past and the dissonance that often occurs as we age through the use of experimental cameraless techniques. By placing photographic materials directly against my skin during performative acts of self-care, I document my body as I reflect on the damage it suffered as a result of my childhood as a competitive gymnast, which is being exacerbated by the effects of age and time. The resulting photographs are a poetic self-reflection on my physical form that embodies my struggle to understand and accept my deteriorating body.

Work of art in pastel by artist Kelsey Shurbet as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Counting Seconds".

Work of art in mixed media by artist Kelsey Shurbet as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Counting Seconds".

Work of art of Blue ink on found paper by artist Jordan Black as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Heeding the Underbelly"

Work of art of Paper, fibers, paint, ink by artist Heather Hoskins, as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Visceral Reflections". Recordings of daily setbacks or successes with Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Work of art of Paper, fibers, paint, ink by artist Heather Hoskins, as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Visceral Reflections". Recordings of daily setbacks or successes with Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Work of art of Glass, paper, fibers, crochet, resin, ink, paint by artist Heather Hoskins, as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Visceral Reflections".

Work of art of Glass, paper, fibers, ink, paint by artist Heather Hoskins, as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Visceral Reflections".

Work of art of Glass, paper, fibers, ink, paint by artist Heather Hoskins, as part of a 2020 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Visceral Reflections".

Work of art in Threads, wood, foam, plaster by artist Kyung Hee IM as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Entanglement"

Work of art in Threads, wood, foam, plaster by artist Kyung Hee IM as part of a 2021 MFA Exhibition, entitled "Entanglement"