death watches, cotton hand-printed with gomuban and bubble wrap, 2021 (65 in x 97 in)
becoming immortal pt.1, embroidery, assorted plastic and wood beads, fabric marker, and relief print with gomuban and bubble wrap on cotton fabric, 2021 (97in x 65 in)
In the midst of a pandemic, artist Bianca Allende Boyd presents a body of work that considers how death is both a deeply personal and collective experience. Bianca approaches the subject of mortality with her entire life of practicing art: she took sewing classes for eight years as a child, learned printmaking in college, and returned to embroidery as her chosen hobby during lockdown. Exploring the various materials in one of Bianca’s compositions–glass beads, friendship bracelet string, and bubble wrap print–is a gratifying journey into the past. Bianca approaches dark subject matter with an imaginative eye and engages the viewer to do the same. Her eyes are printed onto sheets that cover an entire wall, but they stare out with indifference. Appreciating Bianca’s work is an act of defiance; we are mere mortals, but both artist and viewer can delight in the act of creation.
–Sydney Reaper