We Will Be Strange by Tricia Waddell

Mid-Exhibition Celebration: Saturday, September 14th, 2024

This exhibition invites viewers to embark on a profound exploration of memory through the artistic lens of Tricia Waddell. Drawing from nearly 30 years of personal journaling, Waddell revisits pivotal moments of alienation and solitude, translating these experiences into a series of conceptual self-portraits. Each life-size soft sculpture, reminiscent of modern totems, delves into the complexities of fear, pain, and unspoken yearnings. Through a compelling interplay of color, form, texture, and sound, these works create an immersive, dream-like environment. As visitors navigate this evocative interior of fabric, they are encouraged to confront the hidden facets of their own inner worlds and engage with the raw emotions often kept in the shadows.

Artist Bio:

Tricia Waddell is the textile artist behind Studio Blkbird, based in Denver, Colorado at Tank Studios. Inspired by her degree in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a variety of surface design workshops, her work combines painting and screen-printing with reactive dyes, resists, and mixed media to create visual textures inspired by abstract art, ceramics, and graphic design.

Her soft sculptures and art works explore the power of cloth to hold memories and tell stories with deep emotional resonance. Inspired by the beliefs in many cultures that objects and dolls can hold protective, healing, and magical powers as talismans, she strives to create intimate works that embody quiet emotional power and empathy.

Recent exhibitions include The Moon in Her Mouth residency show at PlatteForum, InFORMed Space: Perspectives in Sculpture at the Arvada Center, A Spiral is Linear at Friend of a Friend Gallery, and various art pop-ups in the Denver area. She’s a member of the Tilt West board, Surface Design Association, and an artist member of the Colorado Art Therapy Association. When she’s not in the studio, she works as an editor, writer, and storyteller creating content for artists, makers, and non-profits.

Website: www.studioblkbird.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioblkbird/