Artist Statement

River F. Berry works at the intersections of craft processes, print, and performance. Her immersive creations investigate and celebrate her lived experiences through a feminist lens. This series presents the viewer with interior and exterior domestic landscapes, which represent the artist’s interpretations of tradition, gender, and material. Berry’s artistic journey revolves around fiber installations, paying homage to the rich heritage of craft. This connection to fiber originates in her childhood spent sewing quilts with her grandmother, and embodies both a personal relationship with craft and resonates with broader Western artistic traditions. This body of work is heavily influenced by women in the artist’s life, the roles they have and the expectations that have been placed upon them by society. Berry’s recent body of work explores the generational trauma, confronting difficult experiences within soft spaces and forms. These works offer the viewer a glimpse of the effort and commitment it takes to construct a quilt as a metaphor for the intensive labor that goes into caring for loved ones. She focuses on recreating the memories and visual motifs of my childhood to emulate the perspective of her younger self. Berry continues the traditional uses of materials and techniques that have been passed down to her. These familial influences, along with her personal collection of objects, form the core of her installation works.