Simple stitches, over and over and over. Each motion is mindless and intentional, calming and frantic. Pieces start as a meditative act, and over the course of weeks or months, become an urgent search for movement, balance, and beauty.

Sarah Frances Gill’s practice of embroidering on paper, fabrics, and lace uses improvisational, painterly techniques to explore the richness of color, texture, and depth of field made possible through a simple, repetitive stitch. The fabric and lace substrates act as scaffolding or armature for the stitchwork, while influencing the underlying texture, patterns, and form. The work celebrates feminine handicrafts with a joyful, frenzied exuberance. These pieces, taking months to produce, are a rumination on time, labor, and the tension between methodical and intuitive decision-making.

Gill began experimenting with color and texture through embroidery while living and working in India. The work provided a sense of calm and control within the intense environment of New Delhi, and reflected the vibrancy and saturated colors of the people and the place. The embroidery work continues to be influenced by the places she has lived, their landscapes and traditional crafts, including Victorian lace work, quilting, and the handicrafts of the American South.

Sarah is an architect and has a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Architecture from Yale University. She lives and works in Dallas, TX.