This embroidered self portrait was created for the show Adrift in the Wonderworld: Women Make Meaning of Moby-Dick.

Moby Dick is, admittedly, not typically recognized as a feminist novel. It is left, then, to the female reader to claim her place in the work, finding characters and story lines to hold on to so as to find deeper meaning. It was Queequeg, the Polynesian prince-turned-harpooner, that spoke to this artist, through his unique and often misunderstood role within his community, as well as his prominent tattoos relaying the story and life of his people.  By channelling her own warrior within, the artist presents her image as a fierce defender of self and family, decorated in needlework of her own creation.

Photograph on Fabric, Embroidery Floss