Wounds We Wear
In progress
2026
Wounds We Wear is a collaborative, community-based project exploring the emotional and societal impact of modern warfare in the U.S. Centered around the question, “How do you feel about the current wars?” the project invites participants to express their responses through symbolic visual designs. These are transformed into embroidered patches and sewn onto a repurposed Vietnam War-era U.S. Air Force uniform, forming a collective portrait of our psychological landscape amid ongoing and remote conflicts.
The project considers the body as a site where identity is both inscribed and suppressed. In military contexts, tattoos, as intimate markers of memory and selfhood, are often concealed beneath the uniform. This work reverses that erasure by translating hidden narratives into hand embroidered patches, making them visible on the surface of the uniform. These stitched forms act as counter insignia, revealing layered identities that resist standardization.
To bridge the distance between distant wars and everyday American life, I collaborate with community members of all ages and backgrounds, who embroider the designs alongside me, deepening connection through shared labor. The final installation centers dialogue and collective reflection, and will be presented at the Herter Art Gallery during the 25th anniversary of 9/11, extending the conversation to participants and their communities.
Funding provided by the Chancellor’s Community, Democracy, and Dialogue (CDD) working group. The CDD has been created to promote dialogue, academic inquiry, and respect for difference in addressing challenging topics. These are forms of engagement central to higher education and a thriving democracy.
Few images from open studio and embroidery circles at OOO (Out Of Office) gallery in Easthampton, MA.
