Embrace: Expect the Unexpected, SDA International Exhibition in Print Fall 2024 Journal, Out Now!

October 14, 2024

Surface Design Association is excited to announce Embrace: Expect the Unexpected, our Fall 2024 edition of Surface Design Journal. “Embrace can take on many meanings, from embracing your identity and who you are to embracing the mistakes and unplanned elements that go hand-in-hand with making. The theme also lends itself to collaborative work and the unexpected issues that pop up when working with someone else, requiring one or both artists to relinquish some control. The concept of Embrace encourages us to confront the things that make us uncomfortable and learn from them.” –Lauren Sinner, SDA Managing Editor 

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Here’s a preview of what you’ll discover:

Guest Juror Statement by Youngmin Lee: “As a concept, the term embrace has many facets, including its literal meaning of a physical act of affection, as well as emotional support and acceptance. Additionally, embrace can convey a sense of acceptance and inclusion. Many artists have explored this theme and created superb works that offer up warm affection to their audience, undoubtedly receiving positive energy in return. Many artists also embraced multiple ideas: incorporating traditional techniques such as resist dyeing, patchwork and quilting, jogakbo piecing, weaving, and basket making with unconventional materials.”

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Guest Juror Award, Ania Gilmore and Amy Nguyen: “In a world both fragmented and whole, the collaboration between artists Ania Gilmore and Amy Nguyen explores the meaning of connection. Chiaroscuro No.11 is created from the remnants of hand-dyed scraps of fabrics from Nguyen’s studio (circa 2010–2019). The explosion of art elements—colors, lines, shapes and textures—is a rebirth and celebration of a new cloth, new life.”

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Innovative Installation Award, Diane Lavoie: “My work is about boundaries: boundaries between humanity and our natural environment, both individual (personal), and societal. I am interested in nature, both urban and rural, domestic and wild. I am drawn to the scrubby nature, found in parks, on farms, and on the banks of waterways, which finds a way despite not being supported or encouraged. I reflect upon old growth forests and woods taken over by invasive species. I am interested in shifting views towards nature: how up until recently it was something to be conquered and now it is something to be saved.”

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Material Exploration Award, Karina N. Presttun: “My intention is to create objects of ambiguous origin. They straddle the line between the natural and the artificial: are they things or beings? Some surfaces may resemble skin, but they are distinctly non-human. Are they garments? If so, what is their purpose? My work invites viewers to reconsider their perceptions of value, beauty and the possibilities inherent in the everyday and the discarded.”

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Current Statement Award, Holly Wong: “I make my work in part to memorialize my mother whom I lost to alcoholism and domestic violence when I was 15 years old. Her love of sewing further imprinted the essential nature of fiber in my practice as my act of sewing became my homage to her. I am continuing her tradition but in my own contemporary approach. In creating my fiber installations, my goal is to provide a healing space for people who have faced trauma, whether it be through domestic violence or other forms of abuse such as racism, homophobia or political persecution.”

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Unconventional Materials Award, Michelle Stitzlein: “The unorthodox materials that I utilize are part of that alchemy. Just the combination and selection of items and their unrelated former purposes alone are a recipe for something atypical. My work frequently mingles components of kitchen implements, children’s toys, lawn tools, outdoor recreation items, electrical gadgets, musical instruments and plumbing parts, side by side.”

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Modern Meets Traditional Award, Carolyn Murphy: “My approach to the traditional art of quilting is this: I start by trying to forget everything I know about the rules. Separating the patterned order of the traditional style from what I do is the first step: no rulers, no patterns, no predetermined results. Maintaining a beginner’s mindset, one that is inventive and open to every possibility, is next. After that, it’s hard to put into words. But I’ll try.”

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Surface Design Award, Liz Hamilton Quay: “My practice lies in the juxtaposition of materiality, the idea of delicateness yet resilience, and the transformation of the unnerving into the captivating. The Ovum series is part of a larger collection, Delicate Resilience, which distills the female form to its fundamental elements and visually describes and embraces the mother’s body. This series of smaller soft sculptures specifically refers to both the joy of conception and the pain of loss. It is intended to highlight the duality of experiences that define motherhood, capturing the profound highs and lows.”

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This year’s EIP also has 21 Featured Artists included alongside the award winners: Eszter Bornemisza, Kimberly Bush, Melissa English Campbell, Susan M. Clark, Jodi Colella, Kim Eichler-Messmer, Andrea Finch, Toni Kersey, Bella Yongok Kim, Kyung Min Kim, Dong Kyu Kim, Kathy Knapp, B. Jean Larson, Marta Nowak, Youngmi Angela Pak, Seoryung Samantha Park, Leisa Rich, Davana Robedee, Theda Sandiford, Elise Vazelakis, and Peggy Wiedemann. Congrats to all our artists spotlighted in this lovely Journal!

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Outstanding Student Awards: Presented annually to students who have demonstrated excellence in fiber arts. This year, the SDA Education Committee selected three awardees to be featured in print: Amy Beeler, Eli Bjedov-Stanković, and marina g. cano. The work of these artists embodied inventive and innovative use of technique, materials and concepts not only in fibers and textiles, but in printmaking, sculpture, and more. It is an honor for the Education Committee to be able to see student work, review it, and learn more about the personal and societal issues they are tackling through their work.

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Grant & Award Winners: SDA is committed to supporting the efforts of its members to realize their creative goals and positively impact the world of textiles, fibers and surface design. SDA’s grants and awards support members as they demonstrate excellence in the studio, engage in professional development, create exhibition opportunities and events, or engage in practices that positively impact their community. Congratulations to all the recipients!

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To buy a copy of Embrace: Expect the Unexpected, go to the SDA Marketplace, or you can check out a free digital sample on our SDA Journal page.