Chanel Thomas

Region: Midwest

Making images is my love language. I often find it difficult to express my self openly, being a queer woman who comes from a conservative religious family. Embracing both my lifestyle and love for my family felt impossible, so my embroidery has become a testament to my love and devotion to my family and myself.

I allow the textures of my medium to visually interpret my affection and the words I struggle to express to those I hold dear. I embroider and texturize specific aspects of photographs from my past, assigning deliberate features of the fantastic to the human body and significant elements of the environment. My images have helped stabilize me, as I am able to revisit sources of identity formation and gain access to my own decision-making.

I found a way to speak and share again.

That’s everything.

There is so much that I need to say and let out, and I’m so grateful that this has been a way for me to express authentically.