Featured Artist Zoe Wiliams

“My work in needle-felted wool investigates the significance of dreams and symbols. I am interested in Jungian psychology and the idea of archetypes emerging from the collective unconscious, as well as the concepts of anima/animus and shadow. I look to dreams in particular because they form a personal mythology that is unique to each person, yet also incorporate elements that are universal.

In addition to wool felt, I use a variety of materials to create details and textures that impart realness to fantastic subjects, achieving a lifelike quality that is completely fabricated. Animals feature prominently in my work because I often dream of animals, but their physical presence also serves as a reminder of the necessity of environmental stewardship and conservation. My work references taxidermy, but to the opposite effect – unreal creatures are given a kind of life.

Beauty is often tempered with strangeness in order to create an alternate world in which dreams are made real and the essence of an instant or idea is crystallized. My own experiences in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina inform my work and contribute to my desire to give permanence to the fragile and ephemeral. The result is often surreal, permeated with a macabre aesthetic that serves as a counterweight to the supple lightness of the wool felt itself.”

Zoe Williams

Zoe has an upcoming solo show at Ghost Gallery in Seattle (opening April 11th) and will be participating in a group show at Gristle Tattoo in Brooklyn (opening February 23rd).