ARTIST STATEMENT
My artistic research is rooted in my lineage of fiber craftswomen, generational traditions, and Italian heritage. I come from a line of fiber craftswomen on both sides of my family. I have learned that for Italian immigrants and their descendants, textiles represent a marker of identity. Italian women traditionally create a dowry of textiles, made to be passed down through generations, called a corredo. In the past, embroidered textiles were seen mainly as sources of primary education and investments for women’s futures. My grandmother sold most of her corredo to support her and her family’s immigration to the United States. The first woven piece, titled Beginnings, represents an exciting and daunting ten-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean.
As a weaver for over a decade, I add my woven history to the lineage using new technology. In my newest series, Heirloom Fragments, the weavings marry my grandmother’s embroidery with my own artistic lens. After examining and photographing her textiles, I reconsidered how her designs would look through woven cloth. I weave the newly edited image by hand on a TC2 loom. This tool offers a weaver full control of every thread in their designs. The once small embroidery detail is now a large and brightly colored tapestry. I connect to my ancestors through a woven language practice.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Annmarie Suglio is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and curator. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, she currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin with a recent Master of Fine Art degree in Photography/Studio Arts at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds two Bachelor of Fine Art degrees in Fiber + Material Studies and Sculpture from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her research is rooted in investigating the past in respects to her Italian lineage. The work utilizes photography, textiles, sculptures, and printmaking to address the themes of identity and culture. Her work has been recognized regionally and nationally. In 2023, Suglio won the Society of Photographic Education Student Award for Innovations in Imaging, Unique Perspective through Technology Award at the Center for Visual Arts in Wausau, Wisconsin, and Juror’s Favorite for the TMA Contemporary Exhibition at the Trout Museum of Art. She has attended Praxis Fiber Workshop’s Digital Weaving Residency (2022 & 2023) and has been awarded scholarships to attend workshops at Anderson Ranch, Ox-bow School of Art, and Penland School of Crafts.
Suglio was formally Gallery Director of Praxis Fiber Workshop, Administrative Assistant for FRONT International: Cleveland’s first art triennial, and Assistant Director of Admissions for the Cleveland Institute of Art. As an educator, she teaches beginner and intermediate digital photography, foundational art & design, and fiber processes such as weaving, spinning, and dyeing textiles. She is currently a Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
© Annmarie Suglio