Late last week, an essay by 2014 VCS alumna Berny Tan was published on the website of the Singapore performing arts center Esplanade, where her work is currently on display in the group exhibition "Sewing Discord." In the essay, Tan talks about the role that textile-based practices—and embroidery specifically—play in her art, tracing her steps along the way from learning cross-stitch as a child, to enrolling in Amy Wilson’s elective course in Fiber Arts (VSD-3807) during her senior year, to embracing embroidery as a significant part of her artistic practice after graduating from SVA. (Wilson’s history with fiber art is also woven throughout the essay in a series of quotes from on online dialogue that took place while Tan was writing it.)

In addition to this personal history, Tan discusses encounters with several works that have had a profound impact on her artistic thinking, including textile-based pieces by Anni Albers and Singaporean artist Eng Tow and—interestingly—a text-based neon work by Jenny Holzer. Her analyses of these pieces are engaging and thought-provoking, and stand as perceptive critiques in their own right, as well as providing a larger frame of reference for Tan’s own works:

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