Juliet Martin mixes tradition with experimentation in funny and ironic handwoven sculptural memoirs. She promotes intimacy with the audience by speaking with satire and humor about personal experiences. Her raw truths confronts the viewer: “Must I remember their faces?” In her work, she applies the Japanese philosophy of SAORI. With its Zen mindset, SAORI encourages freeform work—no patterns, no rules, no mistakes. Every sculpture is an improvisation in awkward beauty: clumpy fabric, fighting colors, rough and smooth textures, ragged edges. By approaching weaving as both craft and fine art, she shows that questioning the intention can bring you solutions that are unique to the medium.

Artist Statement

“Don’t look at me that way.” Headless, hand-woven female bodies own the room, challenge you to look away. These ladies glare back at objectifying eyes. These ladies won’t be objects. These ladies own the gallery with pride, not shame; strength, not fear. Gender power is symmetric here.

Out-of-place eyes and domineering arrows direct the gaze to improper places without wasting any