Artist Statement

Throughout my life the women in my family have worked in textile. This began with my grandmother who held onto fabric with the idea that it could be mended. This philosophy coincided with my Great Aunt’s quilts; quilts I admired for their simplicity. My admiration for fiber led me to collect fabric in the form of quilts and my father’s army blankets. As I was stretching canvas some years later I realized I could use sewing to restructure form. I could connect their stories by mending them into a whole. Even though my works are deeply personal, their creators are not forgotten but in fact, honored. The layering of quilts with army blankets represents the duality of their purpose that is both necessity and comfort. By hand stitching every piece I have found the process to be natural, even meditative. Drawing from Muslim Clerical garments, the chain stitch allows for a flexible workflow. This process caters to each fabric’s unique history. The mending of these stories grants the work an environment through which the audience can remember their own memories.

Jeanne Raymonde Bieri

Motor City Icon: The City of Detroit | October 5, 2018 – January 19, 2019

Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
7400 Bay Road, Saginaw, MI 48710

Call and Response 2: Poets and Artists in Dialogue | November 18, 2018 – January 27th, 2019

Poetry Reading and Discussion Forum: January 10, 7 – 10 pm
Grosse Pointe Congregational Church
240 Chalfonte Ave., Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

FI2019: Fiberart International | May 31 – August 23, 2019

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
6300 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232