Inhabited Thought Forms was a duo show I curated and participated in with Kodi Lybarger. It is a showcase of 2D and 3D fiber artworks featuring felting, quilting, weaving, and embroidery.

The work focuses on a shared theme: Home can be a place of harbour for many folks, but it can also be a place of tension. Home can feel like a space where you are stuck, and conflicts go silent, with words unsaid. These anxious feelings are physically manifested in the work through matted wool fibers, undulating weavings, and densely packed stitches. Remnants of feeling may be left behind in the house, we are interested in exploring how these feelings affect the other inhabitants. We can think of this leftover energy as a “thought form”. Thought forms are a concept originally researched by Annie Besant, who theorized that there are collections of matter surrounding every person, and are animated by the one idea that generated them. You can think of thought forms as an aura that is influenced by the actions occurring in their surroundings. Gridded repetition of shapes, and layering of translucent colors is an aesthetic choice present among many of the works. The use of translucency can serve as a look back to the past through a window. To see how we existed in our past homes, versus now, in our current spaces. What roles does each inhabitant or guest play? How have those shifted and changed over the years? Hopefully through the viewing of these works, you can start to see yourself too.

Photos by Lily Daigle