Untitled Tapestry (2024)

Kari Paul

Untitled Tapestry (2024)
Acrylic yarn.
13"x7"

Inspired by:

Helen Paul (Grandmother, 1937-2023)

Unfinished Baby Sweater (2022)
Acrylic yarn.
13"x7"

My grandmother Helen Paul was a teacher and homemaker who grew up on a farm in Illinois. She taught me how to knit, just as her grandmother taught her how to knit. She passed away a year ago and I miss her dearly.

I found this half-finished baby sweater in my grandmother's belongings after she passed away. She carried on a tradition of making a sweater for each new baby in the family and never had the chance to gift this one. So often fiber art and other traditionally "women's" crafts are not seen as legitimate art. I wanted to finish what she started and elevate this inherited act of creating into an artistic practice, copying her pattern and dimensions and expanding upon them. I am experimenting with different knitting techniques and borders to create a more intricate hanging tapestry rather than a wearable garment.