Rearview: Stitches in Time

Several artworks that form part of the promised endowment to Albay Arts Foundation were exhibited in Houston, TX from April 16 to May 14, 2022.

Titled Stitches in Time, the exhibit gathered ten artists who work on fabrics and threads as an art medium. The title takes off the English idiom a stitch in time saves nine. A sewing reference, the saying was first recorded in 1723 in the United Kingdom. It underscores the cruciality of solving a problem before it gets unmanageable.

Informed by their own disparate cultural backgrounds and art practices, the artists in this exhibit hailed from the U.S., Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Colombia, and the Philippines. They re-purposed consumer materials and reinforce traditional techniques to tackle historical and contemporary issues. Artists included Katrina Bello, Heather Benjamin, Karla Caprali, Carina Evangelista, Lans, Racquel de Loyola, Laura Marsh, Evelyn Politzer, Micheline Rama, and Natalia Schonowski.

The pieces in the show underscored the narrative that women have always been in the forefront of labor and creative endeavors. They provided insights on worldwide problems such as the impact of globalization on conditions of women, misogyny and the rise of authoritarian figures, the environment, as well personal themes.

The exhibit ran alongside Algún día todo esto tendrá sentido, a site-specific outdoor installation by artist Ged Merino who is based in New York, Colombia, and the Philippines. The installation, which projected the artist’s narrative about his temporary imbalance, uncertainty, struggle, solitude, and growth, was first realized while Merino was in Bogotá in 2020. The exuberant foliage and vegetation surrounding him allowed him to draw inspiration for his works.

The venue of the exhibit, Alief Art House, was one of Houston’s leading alternative spaces for visual and performing arts and a hub for creativity that highlights the cultural richness of the multiple communities in Alief. Founded by Filipino-American Matt Manalo in 2019, it was initially built with one shipping container on the grounds of the Alief Community Garden at the Alief SPARK Park and Nature Center.

More details about the exhibit, including the curator’s notes can be accessed here.