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Work Samples

Isolation Portrait/Day 674

"Isolation Portrait/Day 674" 2022, Silk organza, tulle fabric, thread; sewn 1.75" x 6.5"- These small scale works came about in response to my time spent in isolation since the beging of lockdown, March 2020. I needed to keep my hands busy, so I focused on projects I could complete in a days time; creating a physical record of my time spent. These moments of seclusion and detachment from the world can invite an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. However it can provide an opening for introspective discovery. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)

Transposed

"Transposed" 2021, Tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 19" x 17" Without the transparent layer of silk organza, that is seen in both the "Rhythms of Healing" and "Isolation Portraits", my hand-made paper works offer an unfiltered look at my internal world as I strive for balance and self empowerment.

Convalescence

"Convalescence" 2022, Tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 32” x 52” Self-care, true self-care, is mandatory while living with chronic illness. The body is quick to answer avoidance. It’s ever-present aura is both exhausting and impelling. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)

Entwined Repose

"Entwined Repose" 2022, 5' 6" x 5', Silk organza, tulle fabric, thread; sewn When confronted with the notion of ‘Rest’ as an idea, I find myself conflicted. What was spurring this feeling of hesitation towards rest? Rest is generally thought of as being a state of inaction, yet for me it takes a significant amount of effort for me to settle my body into restorative Rest. Laying still, in bed, my body wakes up to the wear and tear I have forced her through during the day, but ignored out of fear and necessity.

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About Katie

Baltimore City - Station North A&E District

Katie O'Keefe's picture
Katie O'Keefe was raised in a quiet village in the Hudson Valley, New York. From the age of 14 Katie has been dealing with Chronic Lyme and her experience with this illness has had a great impact on her creative work. Throughout her teenage years she studied drawing and painting at The Art Effect (previously known as the Mill Street Loft) in Poughkeepsie NY. When the Lyme temporarily limited her dexterity she shifted her practice to adapt; discovering the joys and sensuality of... more

Rhythms Of Healing: Mending Takes Time

A complete look at my first solo show exhibited at Gallery CA, Baltimore, MD in April 2022.

  • Gallery View 1

    Pictured here is my piece "A Thread to Bare" next to the show title "Rhythms of healing; Mending takes time". On the table I placed material samples of the works on view for people to touch. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Gallery View 3

    Pictured in the for-front is my tryptic "Rhythms of Healing" and my paperwork "Fulcrum" can be seen on the left behind the floating wall. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Gallery View 4

    Left "Revenant Touch", Middle "Rhythms of Healing", Right "Idle Sacrifice"(Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Gallery View 5

    Left all "Isolation Portraits", Right "Revenant Touch" (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)

Rhythms of Healing

Healing has never been a straight line. It ebbs and flows. Here I look back at the progress I have made in both physical wellness and appreciation for my body as it is in each moment. Individually each piece of this tryptic marks an important point within my healing process. Together they speak to the cyclical motion of healing, rejecting the notion that progress happens without interposed reflection.

  • Rhythms Of Healing

    2018- 2021, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 6' x 10' (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Back view of Rhythms Of Healing

    2018-2021 Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 6' x 10' Textile backs are generally rich in texture, and normally go unseen. Here you can see the layers of different colored tulle fabric that I sew together to create the shading and color in the work. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • This is My Body.

    2018, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 5' 5" x 2' -A first step in the visual documentation of my personal journey with self love and acceptance. Here I am gently hovering my hand over my right shoulder, a place in my body that holds a long history of tension, as a way of acknowledging the pain while remaining present and calm. ((Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Detail of This Is My Body.

    2018, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 5' 5" x 2'
  • Endogenous Embrace

    2018, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 2' x 6' - Moving beyond simple acceptance to the moment when the protective barriers begin to fade thus providing an opening back to the subtleties of sensuality. This moment of honest vulnerability allows for the deepest healing. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Detail of Endogenous Embrace

    2018, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 2' x 6' (documentation by Kimberly Wiegand)
  • Respite

    2021, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 4' 1.5" x 1' 5" - A brief moment where I am able to breath and reflect on all my body has been through, providing a phase of relief in the ongoing restorative process. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Detail of Respite

    2021, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 4' 1.5" x 1' 5"
  • Detail of Respite

    2021, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 4' 1.5" x 1' 5"A glimpse of the back of the work exhibiting the multiple layers of tulle I sew together to blend color and create shading.
  • Detail of the back layer of Respite

    2021, Bottom layer; tulle fabric and thread machine embroidered. Top layer; silk organza and thread machine and hand embroidery. 4' 1.5" x 1' 5"A glimpse of the back of the work exhibiting the multiple layers of tulle I sew together to blend color and create shading. Also seen are the grommets sewn into the back of the work for hanging. Due to the transparent nature of the materials, I have embroidered around the grommets with matching thread colors in order to camouflage the hanging hardware.

Isolation Portraits

These small scale works came about in response to my time spent in isolation since the beginning of lockdown, March 2020. I needed to keep my hands busy, so I focused on projects I could complete in a days time; creating a physical record of my time spent. These moments of seclusion and detachment from the world can invite an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. However it can provide an opening for introspective discovery.

Works of Paper

Using reclaimed threads from my previous works and mixing them into paper pulp, I build a surface that becomes symbolic of how the past can impact you in present time. The figures in red represent the unseen inner world. A raw and unfiltered response to the intense sensations running through my body, along with the strong emotions that go with it. Whereas the figures in full color offer a more complete view. A conduit of converging experience.

  • Transposed

    2021, Machine embroidered tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 19" x 17" Overwhelmed by internal intensity, I find myself caught in a gravitational pull; oscillating between sensations of dispersion and reformation. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Detail of Transposed

    2021, Machine embroidered tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 19" x 17"
  • Standing Figure

    2020, Tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads 8.5" x11" (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Fulcrum

    2021, Tulle fabric, thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 9" x 11 1/2" (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Convalescence

    2022, Tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 32” x 52” Self-care, true self-care, is mandatory while living with chronic illness. The body is quick to answer avoidance. It’s ever-present aura is both exhausting and impelling. (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Detail of Convalescence

    2022, Tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads, 32” x 52”
  • Idle Sacrifice

    "Idle Sacrifice" 2020, Tulle fabric and thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads 4' x 3'6"-Inaction, during times of crisis, can have devastating repercussions on oneself and to those around you. Is the woman in "Idle Sacrifice" neglecting aspects in her life that will lead to her inevitable fall? Or is she willfully ignorant of her own contribution to the tumult below? (Photography by Kimber Harris-Wiegand)
  • Detail of Idle Sacrifice

    2020, Tulle fabric, thread on hand pulled abaca paper embedded with repurposed studio threads 4' x 3'6"

Gestures

The past few years have been laden with loss. In my grief, it felt that if  I closed my eyes, I could reach out and touch what I was seeking; to make the immaterial tangible. Then reality takes hold, making it clear that no amount of willpower can bring back what time took.

Entwined Repose

When confronted with the notion of ‘Rest’ as an idea, I find myself conflicted. What was spurring this feeling of hesitation towards rest? Rest is generally thought of as being a state of inaction, yet for me it takes a significant amount of effort for me to settle my body into restorative Rest. Laying still, in bed, my body wakes up to the wear and tear I have forced her through during the day, but ignored out of fear and necessity. In my piece Entwined Repose I sought to capture the history of movement as I toss and turn, searching for a place of comfort. In the act of accepting rest I find strength in vulnerability.

Preliminary Drawings

Studies drawn in the development of "Entwined Repose" examining the movements made searching for a compfortable resting pose.