by Kaneem Smith
(Six large-scale ‘mounds’ of colored burlap sisal fabric forms to be placed between the light posts on the sidewalk, to the right entrance of the Gregory School Library building.)
My fiber-based sculptural installations draw inspiration from a familial and historical standpoint of personal experience and the human condition. By creating site-specific installations out of repurposed fabric materials for my sculptural investigations, I hope to challenge the viewer to participate in a dialogue that references global concerns on ethical trade, the West’s over-consumption of natural resources, colonialist interactions on the natural environment and the economy of developing nations.
In creating Forsaken Eulogies: Evolvement for the VBB: HOMES & HISTORIES Event, I drew inspiration from a recent newsletter article I read written by a UH Downtown student about A 2nd Cup, a local non-profit coffee shop aimed at raising awareness and funds for organizations that fight against human trafficking by selling ethically-sourced coffee ‘by the cup’ inside a church in the Houston Heights neighborhood.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Kaneem Smith is an installation artist, conservator and teacher. An active artist and teacher since the mid-1990s, her solo exhibitions have been presented around the US as well as in Houston.
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