Last year I co-created the award-winning piece, “Freed Family of Love,” with the help of various other artists. That artwork was very heavy and felt rather bulky to wear. This year I wanted to try and create something more form fitting and elegant. When I found out that this year’s themes included “Insects,” I immediately wanted to tackle the immaculate beauty of the butterfly. Butterflies have become synonymous with elegance and gentle femininity. They transcend the insect they are and have become more of a cultural icon.

 

I wanted to capture all this in my artwork to create a blend of the literal depiction of a butterfly and some of its more symbolic attributes. Working with Lee Andersen has really helped me with my understanding of fabric and its applicability in making sculptural artworks. I wanted to infuse a more flowing use of fibers into this year’s entry. The hardest part of the process for me was trying to get the wire wings to shape the way I envisioned them. Wire can be a very tricky material to work with; although its flexible, too much torque in any direction risks weakening the wire. It’s also important to make sure the wire loops in on itself when you bend it. This prevents the wire from having pointy ends that could pierce through the fabric and endanger the model.