ARTIST STATEMENT
I create as communication. It is my way of speaking to myself and thinking. The rhythmic process of working with my hands expands meaning, and possible resolutions to real problems. Disease, aging, death, failed aspirations and social issues almost always dominate the theme as I start, but where am I going? Through textile techniques and thoughtful contemplation, my hands forge a movement forward. With every image, I am unbuttoning a story I know personally. As I stitch together memories and experience, both from history and our current times, my goal is to create a visual stimulus for viewers to explore their own stories.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Residing in San Francisco, California, Marie Bergstedt re-emerged as a full-time artist in 2005, following 25 years of employment as a development director in not-for-profit schools and arts organizations. She has spent the recent 17 years concentrating in mixed media art, telling stories all about people. During this time her artwork has appeared in six solo exhibitions and more than 100 group exhibits across the world, receiving 28 awards. Bergstedt participated in four artist residencies and has been invited to present lectures, workshops, webinars and videos.
In 2019-2022 her artworks were exhibited in eleven international venues including curated invitations from European Cultural Centre’s Art Biennial Venice 2022, the 12th LB Fiberart Biennale in China, and World Textile Art’s 25th anniversary exhibit. In 2023 Bergstedt’s artwork has been exhibited in “Tradition and Innovation”, the 7th International Triennial of Riga, Latvia, and Fiber Art Now Magazine’s call for “Fiber Reimagined.”
© Marie Bergstedt