Michelle Knappe
Mother’s Daughter, 2022
Hand-Dyed Cotton, Quilt Batting, PVC 54" x 60" x 80"
n this project, I am exploring my relationship to feminity through the icon of the house and relationships between mother and daughter. I wanted to reference toys and childhood as a method of creating comfort into the structure while allowing it to look like it's melting. The familial relationship between mother and daughter has a large impact but it is soft and ever-changing. I wanted to explore this through the forms I created. The sculpture also allows for play, you can move throughout it exploring it and playing within it, allowing each viewer to have a unique experience.
Michelle Knappe
Female Form, 2022
Hand Dyed Cotton Fabric, Polyfill 80" x 42" x 3"
This quilt explores my identity as a woman and how the female figure is portrayed in fine art. The figure is seemingly trapped in which waves of hot pink fabric yet its size and saturation confront the viewer. How is she both given power and restricted from using it?
Michelle Knappe
Growing Pains, 2022
Various Fabrics, Polyfill, Iron on Transfers, Thread 36"x60"x 36"
In this project, I use aspects of my identity to explore trauma. Having a chronic illness from a young age greatly affected how I experienced ‘growing up.’ I want to explore this complex relationship through a soft sculpture that utilizes recycled textiles from children's clothing and linens.
