Rosy Petri is a multidisciplinary artist who pieces together art, writing, and auditory narratives to bear witness to humans being. Passion for social justice, culture, and storytelling has allowed her to travel the country for several projects. She is currently focusing on fabric portraiture as the Artist in Residence at Milwaukee’s historic Pfister Hotel 2019/20.

Artist Statement:

I work on series work in studio. My in-depth process requires several stages from design to completion, and I work to ensure quality and distinction at each step. From design to cutting, placing and stitching, my fabric portraits are handcrafted one of a kind works of fine art.

Using wax prints (as well as vintage and repurposed materials) in an improvisational manner, I apply them to my fabric portraits through a traditional quilting technique called raw edge applique. This technique allows me to utilize even the smallest scraps in my work, which I save from production of my other projects. Inspired by the stained-glass windows and icons of churches and cathedrals, I celebrate the sacredness of life through iconographic images of culture created in the folkways of my community.

Using traditional techniques in unconventional ways, I am a self-taught multimedia artist with a focus on textile portraiture. Each portrait captures and pays homage to the humanity of individuals in reverential essence. As a self-taught artist working with fabrics of the diaspora, it is important for me to acknowledge that these artist ancestors are the descendants of the survivors of the middle passage. As a daughter of diaspora who has been historically disconnected from those origins, I seek to explore my own ties to the African continent and diaspora.