BY ANDREA CARPENTER
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The Winter Phoenix is a California based handwoven textile brand by Andrea Carpenter.
Each piece is inspired by the artist’s emotional evolution, which is woven in all of her work as she connects the divide between body and soul by giving her hands the power of her voice through fiber.
As her work is also a reflection of her love for nature, Andrea creates one-of-a-kind pieces that are not only inspired by the earth, but also respects the planet by weaving exclusively with natural fibers such as hemp, cotton, linen, and wool.
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USA
MADE
INSPIRATION
BEHIND THE COLLECTION
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This collection is the physical representation of my emotional metamorphosis of 2018. Upon embarking on a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement I faced drastic change, displacement, and prolonged transition. I mourned the loss of a home, and a community, as well as faced abuse and betrayal within said community, all while continuing to navigate the deconstruction of my faith and grieve the loss of significant relationships. As a result I battled deep depression and ambiguous physical health issues.
But through it all I continued to unapologetically embrace and expand upon my beliefs concerning social justice, feminism, and intersectionality. And I continued to learn to find and use my voice in spaces where I am expected and encouraged to be silent.
This collection was created amongst all of this. Upon reflection of situations where I have felt silenced and ignored, I intuitively gave my hands the power to say with fiber what my mouth and heart could not say with words.
*I listened to Neko Case much of the time that I worked on this collection. Some of the pieces in this collection have titles that are lyrics from songs off of her latest album, Hell-On. Those titles are in quotations and speak to the inspiration behind their accompanying pieces.
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