Jamie Lynn Williams

Contemporary embroidery art and other Fiber Arts

I am a fiber artist. My craft incorporates various types of needlework from crochet to punch needle. I primarily employ hand embroidery and machine embroidery techniques in my work. I use these processes in two-dimensional formats as well as in sculpture and installation. I am concerned with the way in which these thought-to-be constricting, decorative, and somewhat antiquated practices can be used in an expressive and unexpected way. Controlled chaos and issues concerning my own emotionality continue to crop up in my work. I am a very anxious person, constantly internalizing my experiences. I place a premium on my personal growth and development, and I want my artwork to reflect this internal process. I feel strongly that my work must always remain in the tension between craft and fine art, never settling on one interpretation or formula for merging these contexts. Both the traditions of painting and drawing influence the way I approach fiber materials in the practice of making, framing, and exhibiting my work. While needlework has its own cultural and historical contexts, I recognize that part of what makes something a craft is that it does not need to be intellectually justified. In many ways I am a crafter, too; I create what I create purely because I love it and it is congruent with who I am. I hope that others are able to emotionally connect to my works and to enjoy them aesthetically.

I am a fiber artist from Indianapolis, IN. I located in Easthampton, after graduating from Smith College with a BA in Art and Psychology. My studio practice is currently located in the Eastworks building.