This piece is made with cotton warp threads cochineal-dyed with ikat technique, woven together with cochineal-dyed weft threads. An un-dyed mercerized Egyptian cotton is woven into the cloth as a supplementary weft. This piece was woven on a backstrap loom. The hand-woven cloth was sewn onto a silk fabric dyed with cochineal in nui shibori technique and consecutively stretched onto stretcher bars.

Ikat is a resist dyeing process in which some areas of threads are bound before dyeing, protecting them from dye, so that when uncovered they retain the original color of the yarn. In this piece, the un-dyed sections of thread reveal a white diamond shape. In the weaving process the threads tend to shift, creating a more irregular shape.

Supplementary weft threads form another more geometrically defined diamond within. They frame a slit woven into the center of the piece and their loose ends form a fringe that reaches out past the edge.

This piece is subtly hued and the softness and delicacy of the materials, along with the geometric balance create a quiet, contemplative space; while the slit, the shapes, the pinks, and the fringe reference skin and female sexual organs.

Nui shibori is another resist dyeing technique in which fabric is tightly stitched to prevent dye from reaching all areas of the fabric. The shibori dyed edge on this piece is only slightly visible from the front. The veined edge eats away at the rectangular shape of the object making it appear irregular. A side view of the piece reveals the entire ribbed edge of the fabric, providing an alternate experience when viewed from the side.

Although this piece integrates several textile traditions, this particular use of supplementary weft with cotton thread, derives from techniques employed in the weaving community of San Bartolo Yautepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Soft Black Triangulo, 2014, cochineal-dyed handwoven wool on cochineal-dyed silk, 57 x 41 cm.

This piece was woven on a back-strap loom. The wool warp threads were ikat-dyed with cochineal. The woven cloth is sewn onto silk fabric dyed using an arashi shibori technique with cochineal and subsequently stretched onto wooden stretcher bars.

Weaving black fibers into the cloth with ghiordes knots, a Turkish rug making knot, created the central triangular shape. This method of piling produces a volume that projects outward from the woven plane. The triangular shape forms a structure that allows the threads to become progressively longer as they move upward, making the top part of the triangle extend the furthest away from the supporting surface.

The triangular shape evokes pubic hair, while the pinks and reds of the cochineal in the ground evoke flesh and blood. The change in texture and light between the shine of the silk and the warmth of the wool, the pinks, reds and blacks create a soft contrast in tones. This piece is made with delicate materials, but it stands in bold affirmation of the female body and sexuality, as well as of the often-discredited textile crafts relegated to women.