The art of embroidery is no longer an art practiced only by ‘old ladies’. More and more artists embrace embroidery as a technique for telling their stories. One of those artists is Los Angeles based, Michelle Kingdom who describes her embroideries as sketches… only using thread instead of pencil. These pieces are art represent something unique and tells a story through embroidery designs.
Her work is deep and symbolic, exploring psychological landscapes and things no one talks about. When The Huffington Post asked Michelle why she’s chosen thread as a medium whilst studying fine art in college she responded: “I began what was essentially drawing with thread as a refuge away from all that, stitching purely for self-expression and exploration. There was something beautifully fragile, odd and otherworldly about the medium. Figurative embroidery seemed tailor made for expressing secret thoughts.”
Combining memories and imagination with literature, art history and mythology Michelle creates haunting scenes that make you wonder. Her pieces are quite small and by layering the thread, they turn from illustrations into three-dimensional pieces. The melancholy and mystery is enhanced by the small physique of the works, it’s like leaning into someone whispering a secret in your ear. Michelle’s secrets are certainly ones to remember, pieces that will give you a whole new way of looking at the art of embroidery.
