“Small Works” Award Winners

September 13, 2017

A crowd favorite from Making our Mark: SDA at 40 conference in Portland, OR was the Small Works exhibition. The show featured 122 pieces in any fiber-related material, from SDA members both local and international. To celebrate and be inclusive to all members–not solely the ones who could attend the conference–Small Works was open to everyone who applied! The exhibition was on display at the DPP Gallery at Oregon College of Art and Craft during the conference (August 3rd – 6th, 2017). Below are the three award winners juried by Surface Design Journal Editor Marci Rae McDade.

Best in Show: Teresa Shields

Teresa Shields Green Yellow Orange Cell Structure 2017, French knot embroidery, 12” x 12”.

“I’m inspired by circles and I’ve been drawing circles for close to twenty years. When I thought I was tired of them and wanted to change direction I became obsessed with wood grain patterns and then realized it was just another way to look at circles. Sure, it’s a challenge generating interest in something as inanimate as a shape. My circles magnify the complex insides of vegetables, cloud formations or microscopic cellular structures. I’m guided by my intuition I love working with pattern on pattern, color and texture. I try to make these little pieces of art irresistible to the touch because that’s what you can do with fabric and fiber and stitches.” teresashieldsart.com

Second Place: Eva Camacho

Eva Camacho Cricula Journey 1 2017, nuno felt, 12” x 12”.

“In May of 2017, I had the great opportunity to spend two weeks at Mass MoCA for a residency. The work I created was inspired by the cocoon of the Cricula Trifenestrata Silk Moth, a wild silk moth from Indonesia. Cricula caterpillars spin these golden yellow cocoons with uneven small holes that resemble no other silk cocoons. The golden color across the room is inspired by the honey- to gold-toned fibers of the cocoons with a most beautiful metallic sheen. Such a unique surface texture.” evacamacho.com

Third Place: Xia Gao

Xia Gao Breath.Gaze 2017, pins, canvas, 12” x 12”.

“Inspired by subject matter, compositional arrangement, and aesthetic of the fan painting from Chinese Song dynasty, Breath.Gaze reflects current air pollution crisis in China. It features representative and cultural iconic image to address living being’s struggle in coping with deteriorating environment. Pins are used in the way of cross-stitching to create double-sided image, which are vague but pointed speaking to jarring pollution reality. This piece is a recent addition to Breaths series.” msu.edu/~gaox

To see the full gallery of 122 Small Works, go to SDA’s Exhibits Page.

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