ARTIST STATEMENT
One summer, a close friend in town announced that she was moving to Asia. I realized then that many of my friends are far away. They either moved away or I did. This last friend’s move brought into view a pattern of distance in a number of my favorite relationships. I began creating a portrait gallery of these dear women to honor them and feel closer to them at the same time. I started with sketches, unaware that the project would grow into a variety of media. I enjoyed exploring the imagery through my understanding of my friends lives and the sketches journeyed into fiber art, ceramics, and book art. More recently, still following my heart, I added a short tribute to each girlfriend. I titled this multimedia project “Friends Viewed from Space.”
Qian Ren
Qian Ren and I had not been friends for long. She was hesitant and polite. Born in China. I know very little of her. She was another mother and a friend of a friend. Often, we sat together at school events. We met for tea or a walk. Her English was new and I thought that she pretended to understand me just to be kind. She loved French designers and sweet drinks. She broke everyone’s heart when she died young, never given any hope of survival, leaving young children behind.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Anne Bernard-Pattis attended the Ecole Superieure d’Arts Graphiques Penninghen in Paris. She received her Master’s Degree in Art History from the Sorbonne and her PhD from Northwestern University, completing her thesis on nostalgia. She works at her home and in local studios. Anne draws inspiration from her encounters with people, books, objects, landscapes, events and passing thoughts.
© Anne Bernard-Pattis