Fiber artist HML in residence at Interact Gallery
We are pleased to announce that fiber artist HML will take over Interact Gallery this spring as part of our ongoing residency program. HML's work explores the intersection of disability, gender identity, and sexuality. She plans to use the residency to continue a series of soft sculpture muscle suits."The suits break down the body into a form that you can see from the inside out, which is a huge part of disability," she says. "If it's not seeable, people don't recognize it. And if it is seeable, it comes with being ostracized. With the suits, I'm thinking, here's a body that someone will treat me better in. I make them androgynous so they're usable by all people."Over the course of January and early February, HML will use the gallery as her studio space, installing recent and in-progress work and testing new ideas. Her residency continues our experimental program, which began in May 2022. Without a specific end goal, the residency is an open opportunity for Interact artists to take risks and leverage the space for new ideas.
You can learn more about HML and find her available work here.
The gallery will be open to the public during HML's residency. While there is no formal exhibition on view, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about her practice and check out works in progress.
Details
Visiting hours are by appointment:
Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.*
January 11 - February 2, 2023
*Make an appointment here or email us at gallery (at) interactcenter (dot) com.
Getting here
Interact Gallery | 755 Prior Avenue North, Suite 002D (lower level), Saint Paul, MN 55104
Find parking and accessibility details on our Visit page.
Images: HML, Schwarzenegger, 2022, mixed fiber, 32 x 40 inches (left). HML, Fantastic Shape, 2021, mixed textiles and fiber fill, 17 inches across chest, 28 inches long (right).
Image descriptions: (left) A photo of a soft sculpture made of found fabric and polyester fiberfill on a white background. The form resembles a human chest, ribcage, lungs, arms, and hands. Patterned fabric makes up the the collar bone and chest plate, with light pink tulle on the shoulders. The ribcage is constructed of brown felt which overlays a pair of magenta felt lungs. The forearms are neon green with dark brown, rectangular puffs and the hands are stuffed and yellow, similar to dish gloves. (right) Soft sculpture sewn to a repurposed grey t-shirt. The sculptural fabric elements are stuffed shapes that resemble anatomy of a human torso. Mint corduroy rectangles describe the clavicle and shoulders, red felt circles for lungs, and horizontal tubular shapes of pink and cream make up the ribcage. The sleeves are long and made of light brown felt that feature stuffed, mauve ovular shapes resembling bicep and extensor arm muscles.