Theda Sandiford
Beaded Yellow Gal, 2023
Upcycled linens knotted on braided rope, knotted with cotton string eyelash yarn, fringe and a string of antique bells. 80x16x5"
Beaded Yellow Gal transforms a childhood label into a vibrant narrative of self-definition. This work is made from upcycled linens, knotted into braided rope, intertwined with cotton string, eyelash yarn, cascading fringe, and adorned with a string of antique bells. Each element serves as both a reflection of personal history and a declaration of reclamation. As a child, being called "yellow gal" was an imposed identity. This work channels those experiences into a masquerade costume of vivid color, movement, and sound. The antique bells echo the complex duality of celebration and weight, signaling liberation while reminding us of the chains of societal labels. The knots and textures speak to the intricate weave of identity, shaped by memory, context, and culture. In transforming this identity into a carnival costume, I claim agency over a narrative once imposed on me. This piece becomes a symbol of transformation—a vibrant expression of joy and defiance that can be worn but, crucially, also taken off. It reminds us that the labels others place on us do not define who we are but can become threads in the larger tapestry of our self-created story.
Theda Sandiford
No Chain Binds The Soul, 2024
Recovered marine line, sea tumbled, woven and knotted with eyelash yarn, fabric, acrylic yarn , deconstructed line, beads, bells and shells. 66 x 24 x 10 in
This work bears witness to the unseen threads that connect the past, present, and future—an exploration of memory, magic, and spiritual protection, all woven into the fabric of life itself. Using marine debris collected from beaches in the aftermath of hurricanes, alongside conjure bags and objects such as locs of hair, beads, shells, and hearing aid batteries, I create sacred vessels that bridge the realms of the living and the dead. Each rope I craft holds the memories of those who came before us, serving as spiritual offerings of protection and strength. These ropes act as conduits of ancestral wisdom and power, stretching beyond the physical world and touching the divine. They provide both refuge and release, carrying the weight of histories that are often forgotten but forever present. The conjure bags, filled with materials both organic and industrial, embody the meeting point of the sacred and the mundane. Ordinary objects transform into tools for spiritual healing and transformation. The hearing aid batteries amplify silenced voices—the cries of those lost to the sea during the Atlantic slave trade, whose spirits still call out from beneath the waves, seeking freedom and release. This work engages in a dialogue between time and space, between earth and water, life and death. It reflects on the trauma of displacement, the resilience of the spirit, and the profound connection to the ancestors. By honoring the water graves of those who perished, I seek to offer renewal and release, allowing their spirits to rise and be untangled from the pains of the past. Through my art, I hope to remind us that no matter how deeply buried or forgotten, the souls of the departed continue to shape our collective consciousness. Their stories live on in every knot, every thread, and every conjured object—a powerful reminder that the past is not gone, but woven into the very fabric of who we are.
Theda Sandiford
Tangled In Time, 2024
Commerical fishing net recovered from Ha'Penny Beach St Croix USVI, crochet Boho Locs save from previous crochet hairstyles worn between 2019-2021 64 x 24 x 8 in
This artwork explores the unseen threads connecting past, present, and future, woven with memory, magic, and spiritual protection. Using a blue commercial fishing net that washed ashore after a hurricane and crocheted with gray locs, this sacred net bridges the realms of the living and the dead. The net carries ancestral memories, connecting us to voices lost to the Atlantic slave trade and honoring the water graves of those who perished. This object, a conduit, stretches beyond the physical world and transforms into renewal and release, reminding us that the souls of the departed endure in every knot and thread, shaping our collective consciousness.
Theda Sandiford
Blackity Black Blanket Library Ladders Installation, 2023
10 'x 5' Recycled commercial fishing net and black 4" zip tie blanket on antique library ladders. Shopping cart 96 x 24 x 16 in
I know you are tempted to touch...
Theda Sandiford
Bottlecap Pearls, 2021
Single use bottle caps strung on polyurethane ropes and blue and white rope strands draped and knotted onto an antique ladder. 120 x 28 x 16 in
In 2020 my artist residency with NOW Friends in Nairobi Kenya was cancelled due to Covid. I had spent 6 months preparing for this residency, learning Swahili, researching local artists, textiles, and beading techniques. When I learned that travel would not be possible, I decided to use the time I would have been in Kenya to clean, drill and string thousands of bottle caps into larger-than-life strings of pearls. Each string of pearls represents the passage of time during the pandemic.
Theda Sandiford
Beaded Braids: Double Dutch, 2023
Cider Six Packs and various single use bottle caps strung and knotted with blue and white polyurethane rope 55 x 72 x 8 in
Throwback to when I wore my hair in braids ladened down with pony beads
Theda Sandiford
Power Puff, Black Racing Stripe Baggage Cart, 2021
Bike reflectors, paracord, Fresh Direct bag yarn, doggie poop bags, plastic newspaper bags and plastic grocery bags woven on gold spray painted recovered shopping cart. 36 x 40 x 24 in
Joy is a form of resistance.
Theda Sandiford
Chutes and Ladders, 2022
Black metallic yarn, handmade eyelash yarn, black and brown cotton/rayon poly blend fabric, African printed fabric, vintage African fabric wrapped on recycled polyurethane spliced jungle gym rope netting. 79 x 24 x 72 in
Despite the growing commitment to racial equity, the day-to-day experiences of women of color are not improving. Women of color face similar types and frequencies of microaggressions as they did two years ago – and they remain far more likely than white women to face disrespectful and “othering” behavior.
Theda Sandiford
I Can’t Breathe: Emotional Baggage Cart, 2021
CPAC Tubing, solar rope lights, gold 550 paracord, zip ties, gold spray paint on recovered shopping cart. 36 x 40 x 24 in
We all carry emotional baggage Naturally; these manifests differently for each of us. Some of us push shopping carts of pain while some of us just have a backpack. I carry a lifetime of racial trauma.
Theda Sandiford
Blackty Black Blanket, 2020
10 'x 5' Recycled commercial fishing net and black 4" zip tie blanket on white leather chaise lounge chair. 120 x 60 x 36 in
Racial Gaslighting, hides in plain sight in everyday interactions. It subtly shifts dialog from a racist topic at hand onto me, the accuser – forcing me to question and re-assess my own response to racism, rather than the racism itself.
