Lyla Duey

Region: MFA Annual

City / State: Brooklyn, NY

I look at clothing as a container that absorbs our presence, and search the fabric for evidence of intimate human expression. The paintings become a form of documentation, recording surrogate moments in an attempt to grab hold of a mood or interaction that might easily be overlooked. Collecting data on the quieter, subtler activities is comforting, and provides structure to what cannot be defined. Like plotting coordinates in an endless sea, the isolated segments of worn fabric clear a path for navigating the uncertainties of intimacy and estrangement. Here, buttons serve as a deliberate refusal to reveal, and a slow reminder of the barriers we hold close.