LORI JUSTICE SHOCKET

ARTIST STATEMENT

My textile paintings are contemporary interpretations of traditional quilting and textile art. They are inspired by global cultures including Indian Kantha and Kawandi, Japanese Shashiko, and the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Each piece is an assemblage of color, fabrics and textures meticulously sewn together using a variety of stitching techniques. 

In my work I explore the intricate landscapes of human existence. My textile paintings are more than just visualized representations; they are tactile maps, literal topographies that chart the emotional and spiritual contours of life. Each piece is a journey—a transformation of lived experiences into aesthetic experience where every stitch, fold, and layer embodies the peaks and valleys that give shape to our inner worlds. 

Through the interplay of material, texture, color, and form, I seek to render the intangible tangible, creating articulated surfaces that speak to both the universal and the personal. The organic lines and layers mimic the ebb and flow of life, demonstrating how our experiences, joyous and challenging, carve pathways in our souls. 

This concept of “mapping life” is rooted in the perception that our lives are composed of countless moments, each leaving its mark like a tiny (or not so tiny) stone suspended in a. river etching into the earth. My work, individually and collectively, is a meditation on these moments, an exploration of how we navigate the complexities of existence, and a celebration of the beauty and vitality that emerge from our journey.