Carole Harris: Time and Memory

Posted in: Art

Carole Harris expands the boundaries of quilting, transforming traditional fiber arts into bold, layered compositions that explore time, memory, and history. Working with fabric, paper, and mixed media, Harris employs the Japanese techniques of Boro, the process of piercing and patching recycled clothing to extend the life of materials, alongside the structural rhythm found in African American quilting, such as the work of the Gee’s Bend quilters. Harris embraces the expressive potential of fiber, allowing color, texture, and form to tell stories. Harris’ practice, shaped by her Midwest roots, reflects a distinct regional voice—one that values resilience, craft, and reinvention. Her use of Sashiko-style stitching and cut-paper layering techniques creates dynamic surfaces that reference both personal and collective histories. In contrast to the contemporary artist Bisa Butler or late Faith Ringgold who take a figurative approach to working with quilts and fibers, Harris creates abstractions of her environment to stimulate thought and emotion. Saginaw Art Museum, 1126 N Michigan Ave. Opens at Noon. Runs through Sept. 5th.Phone: (989) 754-2491