Embroidery, in its full majesty, does not make its way onto our Wall often enough. In 2009, we devoted an entire show to fabric art, but in the years since, we can probably count on one hand the artists showcasing the medium, from the venerable Elizabeth H. MacDonald to Leonard Hollinger, who often uses stitching within his paintings, to Rae McLaughlin, whose “Hot Bits” collections have made recent appearances. KELLY KOZMA, a true master of embroidery, has not shown multiple pieces since our 2014 MIDSUMMER INVITATIONAL. That happily changed with UNDER $100, when our jury enthusiastically accepted her two submissions. An artist who relishes “the meditative process of hand embroidery as a way of healing,” Kelly has an ulterior motive that shines through in these life-affirming new pieces. “My goal is to interject joy into my work through bright palettes, fun imagery and movement,” she confides, “so rainbow bananas felt like the perfect subject matter.” BRAVA! (And, yes, if you’re counting, it’s really 10 bananas...but we’ll try to slip by for the sake of our Xmas Countdown....)
KELLY KOZMA
“Kickline”
8.75” x 10.75” framed
hand embroidery on paper
95.
