Hats structurally compelling and texturally intricate are cast in bronze and presented as precious artifacts in the exhibit, Witness.

My grandma was a milliner and left me an eclectic collection of vintage hats. These hats come from many of my foremothers and some are handmade by my grandma. I am using the hat as an icon to examine the female experience in the 20th century, to explore what has and hasn’t changed in the 21st century. The cast bronze hats show a frozen moment in time and act as an allegory.

I often use unpopulated imagery to evoke absence, acting as a trace or a footprint of a once known concept.  The impression of hair acts as an imprint, similar to a thumbprint, to reference humanity. My decision to patina the hats in white reinforces this idea of memory. These hats are cherished and honor my ancestors.  To the viewer, I offer a look inside my world to literally peek into my artwork and my personal hat collection.