North Gallery
Jane Iverson
Living Cloth: Woven Textiles of Southeast Asia
February 13 thru April 16, 2006
Jane
Iverson has been living in Bangkok, Thailand for several years, though
she still considers Edmond home. Her exhibit The
Living Cloth: Woven Textiles of Southeast Asia celebrates the vibrant culture of Thailand,
Vietnam, Laos and Sarawak, Malaysia. Iverson believes that the celebratory
rituals of Asia are a testament to a civilization’s desire to
preserve their heritage, especially since ancient traditions are sometimes
lost within our ever-evolving digital society.
Iverson steals her viewers away to exotic locations and opens their
eyes to glorious customs of distant lands. “I am inspired and
humbled by the people I encounter; their simplicity, their hospitality,
their graciousness and their generosity… Each exhibition gives
me the opportunity to expand the boundaries between cultures by opening
up a tangible dialogue for learning and understanding about our global
partners,” said Iverson.
Iverson focuses on the living quality of textiles as they are employed
in age-old ceremonies. Aesthetic merit resides in the loveliness of
the traditional garments themselves as well as within Iverson’s
true gift of capturing the essence of a society through her lens. The
colors evoke deep emotion while the figures seem to speak to our souls
as we gaze upon them. Iverson combines her photography along with artifacts
she has collected to produce an intriguing and informative exhibit.
Iverson spent two years documenting various cultural events as an
apprentice with Sawaddi Magazine in Thailand. The
Living Cloth: Woven Treasures of Southeast Asia was the first exhibition to be featured
in the residence of the United States Ambassador to Thailand. Her work
can be found in several international corporate and private collections
including collections belonging to Her Majesty Queen of Thailand and
Afghanistan Prince Sardar Abdullah Afig Khan Ratig.
Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan or Karen Sharp at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov.