Hùng Lê, Ông Ngoại. Embroidery thread and hand-dyed indigo cotton, 2023. 23.5 x 28 in. Image courtesy of the Artist.
Time is a Circle: Generational Craft Practices
October 6, 2023 - February 3, 2024
at Belger Crane Yard Studio
2011 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, MO, 64108
Time is a Circle: Generational Craft Practices is on view through Saturday, February 3 and exhibits the the work of Mona Cliff, Wansoo Kim, Hùng Lê, Jada Patterson, Jason Wang, and Aleah Washington.
“[I]n the popular way of thinking, history draws a time “line,” as if time marched in lockstep in only one direction… But Nanahozho’s [Anishinaabe spirit] people know time as a circle. Time is not a river running inexorably to the sea, but the sea itself… If time is a turning circle, there is a place where history and prophecy converge.” - From Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
For centuries craft practices have been passed from generation to generation keeping traditions alive and preserving history, while building communities through the making process. These shared practices are a testament to the resilience and perseverance of many cultures throughout the world.
The six artists in the exhibition use craft traditions to carry on generational practices while unearthing aspects of their own histories within a broader historical and artistic context.
Mona Cliff is an Aniiih, Nakota, and Eastern European artist whose beadwork and fabric applique are the foundation of her practice and heavily based in generational knowledge. Hung Le combines textile traditions with photography to examine his family history in the backdrop of the Việt Nam War and their immigration to the United States. Material culture and personal histories are at the center of Jada Patterson's work. Using braided sweetgrass Patterson references ritualistic healing and imparts power onto the mundane object. Wansoo Kim uses traditional ceramic Korean vessel forms and unorthodox ornamentation, to invite viewers to consider the revealed and the hidden, the internal versus the external. By embellishing the inside of his vessels, he reminds us to examine what is beyond our perception. Jason Wang draws on his Chinese heritage to create functional ceramic vessels that revolve around experiencing community. His textured teapots, cups and saucers, are intended to create a sensory experience that evokes a strong emotional response to further dialogue about identity, mental health, and mindfulness. Aleah Washington explores identity, environment, and community through her abstract wall hangings and functional ceramic work. She shares personal memories and reflects on shared histories using bold color on her quilted wall hangings and stitched pattern designs on her ceramics.
The artists in the exhibition demonstrate a command of craft and a deep understanding of their role in safeguarding craft traditions and histories.
