“No matter how much women prefer to lean, to be protected and supported, nor how much men desire to have them do so, they must make the voyage of life alone, and for safety in an emergency they must know something of the laws of navigation.”

~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in a meeting that launched the suffrage movement.

My sculptures represent the ongoing oppression of women throughout the world. Some of the women in my sculptures are escaping abuse and coping with fallout, ‘navigating’ to find shelter. Others are female and bound, projecting resistance, power, and posture. These women all over the world are independent and capable, despite the restrictions imposed on them by religion, culture, and political laws.
 

I worked as an apparel designer for many years and gained intimate knowledge of the human form through my work. My choice of material stays within my expertise: fabric and fiber made into clothes with structural support. Strong and bright colors convey elements of fear and joy; dull colors express desperation and cries for help. The purity of whites can represent both hope and naiveté, but can also express periods of freedom and optimism that come from loss.
 

My artwork has both a political and a therapeutic aim — waging my private war against injustice towards women and, hopefully, engaging the viewer to join me in the fight. I believe that presenting this vision through forms and colors can get the message to a broader audience.

As Woodrow Wilson said, “the fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts ” still wages on. My work shows women learning ‘the laws of navigation’ in hopes of creating a better future.