About & Events

About me…

I have always been drawn to the stylized design of art and crafts from the prehistoric Egyptians to the early Mesoamerican cultures. The small objects that survive have inspired my own small, whimsical, fabric figures. Just as the ancient objects embodied animistic characters, each of my figures becomes a character as I shape it with embellishments. My larger pieces are inspired by landscapes I treasure, which are currently at risk from climate change and other human pressures – whether it is the jungle, the sea, or the desert. In this vein, I also give a second life to many materials in my pieces from the reclaimed wood, formerly used as lintels and trim, to the fabric pieces too small to use for anything else. Fabric and fiber are foundational in my work as I have worked with both since childhood, learning at the feet of my mother, while the love of wood comes from my father, who taught me and generations of teens the finer details of woodworking. Thematically, my work is a nod to the viewer’s childhood, like bringing to life a page in a child’s book. In essence, my works are stylized and whimsical with a slight flavor of animism.

Roberta Bell