Michaela Kane

Through weaving, crocheting, and beading, I create vibrant, tactile wall pieces that draw on the rich relationship between text, textiles, and religious experience. While the finished work expresses spiritual concepts, I use the creation of the work as a productive meditative experience for myself. Some of the oldest textiles recovered date back to pre-Colombian Peru, where weavings were made for the gods and were more precious than gold. Shamans would wear some of these sacred textiles while performing rituals to access the hidden information needed to locate food resources, or to heal a person’s body, mind, or soul.

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The incredible amount of time involved in gathering cotton and wool, and cleaning, spinning, dyeing, and weaving it by hand reflects a staggering intensity of religious devotion. Time-intensive fiber practices allow me to experience a timeless state that makes me feel very close to early civilizations, where the passage of time was marked not by clocks, but by rows woven or stitched. It is as though I leave the linear world for a while and experience eternity. I’ve heard many others describe a similar experience they’ve found through meditation, contemplation, yoga, or ecstatic dance. Great artists can function as shamans for a sick society, journeying within themselves to bring something beautiful and productive back. Through my colorful and tactile work, I hope to facilitate a playful contemplative experience that brings the viewer one step closer to unlimited joy, wonder, and peace.