This new exhibition by Carolyn Harper features hand embroidered batik portraits of Philadelphia homeless individuals, as well as two very large, in progress, hand sewn quilt portraits. This is all work that Harper has created during the pandemic.
During this strange and terrible time, our necessary obsession with being safe is causing us to turn away from those people most in need. Harper believes that what is needed now is art that can humanize us, and she is interested in deconstructing the stereotypes that we have created of those who are different from us. She creates portraits of people who have been forgotten by society; those we would rather not see or interact with, especially now. She reminds us not to let our fears and social distancing safety protocols prevent us from showing, and sharing, our humanity.
