Bio
Becca (Lavender) Thomas (they/them) is a queer, autistic, sick & disabled artist based in Chicago. In their work they utilize craft through the medium of fiber as an embodied practice to explore identity, disability, and (dis)connection. Through dyeing, printing, embroidery, quilting, and piecework they process and transform memories in a non-linear approach. This language of material and visual poetics facilitates catharsis and solace as they grapple with life in a divergent body-mind. Merging craft and ‘crip time’ their work traverses experiences both internal and external as the forces of grief, joy, trauma, absurdity, and imagination coalesce in a world of their own making.
Lavender earned their MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2019, and their BFA from Indiana University. They were awarded a residency with Paradise AIR in Japan in 2016. They were a HATCH resident with the Chicago Artists Coalition from 2022-2023. Their work has been exhibited in the US and internationally in Japan.
Lavender earned their MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2019, and their BFA from Indiana University. They were awarded a residency with Paradise AIR in Japan in 2016. They were a HATCH resident with the Chicago Artists Coalition from 2022-2023. Their work has been exhibited in the US and internationally in Japan.
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Artist Statement
Through a variety of materials such as fiber, light, video, and sound, I navigate channels to explore identity and reality. You might say the pieces I create are a reflection of my inner world. In moving fluidly through this variety of media, at times activating the viewer’s senses in an immersive environment or with interactive pieces, I aim to interrogate the ways in which we perceive and make assumptions about reality and those around us. As a neurodivergent person my conception of reality often diverges from the norm. Through my work I portray aspects of my perception as a tool for expression and self-reclamation. My practice delves into the depths of radical care and vulnerability as a means of eroding isolation and our society’s proclivity for hyper-independence. Through this I aim to tackle the stigma surrounding disability, chronic illness, and mental health. In opening up about my experiences I intentionally create both individual pieces and expansive spaces that can become capsules for hopeful exchange, openness, and solidarity.
While I use a variety of media, I employ the somatic experience of fiber as a tool for nervous system regulation and sensory exploration. I embody the slowness within the process of the medium in order to resist our capitalistic tendencies for speed and immediacy. In this way I embrace the tenets of ‘crip time’ within my practice. I reject ‘productivity’ and urgency, often taking years to complete certain pieces. The medium of fiber also serves as a physical and theoretical anchor in my practice. The deliberateness of hand stitching and dyeing become vehicles for personal transformation, a consecration of the desire to feel at home in my disabled body-mind. Every stitch is a tether for me to return to myself when the effects of trauma or living with chronic pain constantly have me dissociate and drift away. Within my piecework I embrace the notion of many parts making a whole. Channeling intimacy in the details of my embroidery, or in the curves of a soft sculpture, each cloth that I construct carries something of me within it. While much of my work is autobiographical, my hope is that the topics I touch on can reach viewers in earnest and vulnerable ways as a testament to our interconnectedness.
While I use a variety of media, I employ the somatic experience of fiber as a tool for nervous system regulation and sensory exploration. I embody the slowness within the process of the medium in order to resist our capitalistic tendencies for speed and immediacy. In this way I embrace the tenets of ‘crip time’ within my practice. I reject ‘productivity’ and urgency, often taking years to complete certain pieces. The medium of fiber also serves as a physical and theoretical anchor in my practice. The deliberateness of hand stitching and dyeing become vehicles for personal transformation, a consecration of the desire to feel at home in my disabled body-mind. Every stitch is a tether for me to return to myself when the effects of trauma or living with chronic pain constantly have me dissociate and drift away. Within my piecework I embrace the notion of many parts making a whole. Channeling intimacy in the details of my embroidery, or in the curves of a soft sculpture, each cloth that I construct carries something of me within it. While much of my work is autobiographical, my hope is that the topics I touch on can reach viewers in earnest and vulnerable ways as a testament to our interconnectedness.
News
Interview with Voyage Chicago
Read a feature about the artist on Voyage Chicago, an online magazine dedicated to highlighting interesting and creative people working in the city of Chicago.
voyagechicago.com/interview/meet-becca-thomas-artist-live-northwest-side-chicago-attend-graduate-school-downtown-saic/
voyagechicago.com/interview/meet-becca-thomas-artist-live-northwest-side-chicago-attend-graduate-school-downtown-saic/
Interview with Ballpit Mag
A short interview with the artist on Ballpit Mag, a site dedicated to giving exposure for emerging artists. Read it here => ballpitmag.com/portfolio/create_dreamspace/
Previous Exhibits
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Spectrum, an exhibit of new works by Becca Thomas, will be on display from December 2-30 at General Public Collective in Indianapolis, IN. The show will feature a variety of new work, from paintings and drawings, to textile installations.
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Residency in Japan with Paradise AIR
Above are some articles highlighting the artist's solo show in Matsudo, Japan. The exhibit was sponsored by Paradise AIR and was a culmination of the artist's residency in Japan. May 2016.