After reconvening and reviewing which artworks stood out to the group, walking to look at the handful that everyone agreed could be worthy choices, the four representatives from the M ended up in front of Tia Keobounpheng’s Threads no. 4.
This piece is bright and interesting; the closer you get, the more engaging it becomes. With seemingly infinite strands of colored thread creating layered complex patterns, Threads no. 4 is geometric and almost hypnotizing.
Tia Keobuonpheng’s work is meant to go deep. In her artist statement, she says, “My work emerges from an evolving process of self-reckoning. I place myself and my ancestry in the context of history—considering epigenetics, colonization, and assimilation to Whiteness. I break apart the methods of traditional women’s work in order to see fiber/craft as Abstract Art. Geometry symbolizes the emergence of new energy—a paradigm shift in my world view.”