Sarah Helen More
Biography
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Sarah Helen More was raised in Portland, Oregon and Houston, Texas. She grew up surrounded by her mother’s handmade quilts and her father’s large collection of rocks and minerals, both facets of her upbringing that have greatly influenced her work. She holds an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in textile design from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Sarah has worked as a studio assistant to Takashi Murakami, has taught art history at the college level, and spent many years working in manufacturing and factory production management. She recently completed a large-scale mural in conjunction with the Meta Open Arts program in Bellevue, Washington, and currently lives and works in Seattle.
Artist Statement
My work aims to distill my experience of the world through the lens of hard-edge, geometric abstraction, personal and universal symbology, and the vocabulary of traditional textile imagery.
Rooted primarily in the practical and decorative arts, and textiles, in particular, my work strives to elevate that which is often relegated to the sitting room, workshop, or kitchen table of hobbyists, homemakers, and working-class makers. References to quilts, tole painting, and traditional home decoration abound in each piece, taken from my personal history, daily observations, and the larger language of abstraction. My understanding of textiles and traditional handcrafts has directed me toward the grid as a basis for organizing these compositions.
Textiles and quilts, in particular, offer warmth and comfort and aren't just simple, decorative objects. These humble household pleasures have the power to provide solace, respite, and joy, and I endeavor to bring these sentiments into the work itself. All cultures utilize textiles and many of the motifs and images used within this framework are simultaneously universal and personal. Despite the graphic and abstract nature of the work, familiar symbols begin to appear.
Color plays a significant role in my work, and while I am drawn to the colors that exist around me, I am obsessed with finding ways to infiltrate these existing palettes with punchy, unexpected hues. This balance, between natural and artificial, found and imagined, provides me with a framework to work within while pushing and pulling compositional elements to create dynamic combinations.
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