picking up the pieces

often, we do not know where to begin...

what if we start by picking up the pieces?

turn them about in our calloused hands,

in childlike wonderment,

make use of what is discarded?

made beautiful once more —

a liberation of what’s tossed aside,

love in action.

a gift to be given

as fuel for the fire in our hearts.

picking up the pieces presents a collection of soft sculptural works created by northeast ohio. artist, curator, arts advocate, educator, and wage laborer abby cipar. these pieces are stitched together from leftover, fabric “remnants” collected from their studio praxis. this series of Remnants comes to form through a desire to practice mindfulness in every step of the creation process. if creativity is an essential skill for envisioning a future for ourselves and others, what does it mean to pick up the pieces, or “scraps” around us and make something of what would otherwise be considered waste? how does this speak to human persistence and our capacity for hope amidst hardship and struggle?

the act of sewing is often contemplative. the repetitive motion of a running stitch allows the artist to process all that happens around them on personal, local, national, and global scales. mismatched scraps are bound to each other to create something whole, structurally sound, and visually elevated. In many instances, creation can be an act of repair in moments of despair.

work displayed @ 2418 professor ave - 820 college - 221 professor ave - 2190 professor ave - 2061 w 10th st

contact - acipar121@gmail.com