Michelle Kingdom | Dearer than Truth

About

The intricate scenes threaded by Kingdom invite the viewer into a tiny world filled with symbolism. Each scene draws inspiration from literary snippets, memories, personal mythologies, and historical references.

Decidedly small in scale, the scenes are densely embroidered into compressed compositions. While the work acknowledges the luster and lineage inherent in needlework, Kingdom uses thread as a sketching tool in order to simultaneously honor and undermine this tradition.

The narratives are loose, hinting at relationships among women, alone or gathering together in a natural outdoor setting.

While the work is not political in nature, the latest pieces reflect the current state and cultural climate of America’s identity. 

Beauty parallels melancholy, as conventional stitches acquiesce to the fragile and expressive. The landscapes lay bare dynamics of aspiration and limitation, expectation and loss, belonging and alienation, truth and illusion.