Still the sky was blue | Hand Embroidery on Linen | 10" x 12" | 2015
What is done cannot be undone | Hand Embroidery on Linen and Rayon | 10" x 10" | 2015
Artist Statement: My work explores psychological landscapes, illuminating thoughts left unspoken. I create tiny worlds in thread to capture elusive yet persistent inner voices. Literary snippets, memories, personal mythologies, and art historical references inform the imagery. Fused together, these influences explore relationships, domesticity, and self-perception. Symbolism and allegory lay bare dynamics of aspiration and limitation, expectation and loss, belonging and alienation, truth and illusion.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Michelle Kingdom studied drawing and painting at UCLA, earning a Bachelor’s degree in fine art. She has been involved in various fields of art, design, and education throughout her career. As a self-taught embroidery artist, Michelle quietly created figurative narratives in thread for years. She now exhibits her work nationally and internationally, and her embroideries have been featured in numerous publications such as: The Huffington Post, Hi Fructose, Juxtapoz, Saatchi Gallery, and Colossal. When not busy stitching, Michelle is an early childhood educator and lives in Burbank, CA with her husband and daughter.