Able | 2021

Four overlapping, silhouetted figures in varying shades of blue emerging from an embossed chair and draped in rope.
Three overlapping, standing silhouettes on tan paper. From left to right: one is just the outline of a figure stitched in ochre thread, the middle is printed in light ochre ink, and the last one is transparent white. To the right is an embossed walki
Three overlapping, silhouetted figures in varying shades of splotchy red bend toward an embossed chair with a seat embroidered with woven, white thread that extends to drape around the figures’ necks.
Two overlapping silhouettes dance with arms in the air. One is a pink-beige and one is a dark red in a spotted, dripping texture. A pill bottle is embossed to their right and pink and red thread hangs around their wrists and torsos.
Two overlapping silhouettes sit back to back next to an embossed chair to their left. The left figure is a flat chartreuse and the right one is a murky, textured green. Rays of green thread jut out forom their heads toward the sky.
Two overlapping silhouettes sit back to back. The left figure is an ombre blue and the right one is an indigo with white splatter texture. A dark blue embroidered circle emerges from between their two heads.
Two overlapping silhouettes dance with arms in the air. One is a blotchy, light blue, and the other is deep blue with a winding white thread running through it. A pill bottle is embossed to their right and white thread hangs around their wrists.

Able is a monotype series reckoning with the loss of one's previous life before chronic illness while also embracing the transformation and growth that emerges from it. The series was created early in my printmaking career as I was processing a new medical diagnosis, and it chronicles the profound perspective shifts I was experiencing around my internalized ableism. These works also mark my first experimentation with adding embossed and embroidered elements to my prints, two techniques that enable me to make visible unseen feelings of loss and adaptation. Through creating Able, I was able to process the letting go of some abilities while opening space for others grow in their place, and celebrate this challenging yet transformative period of reflection and renewal.

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