Refugee Project — Panel 6: Fracturing

“Fracturing” is the sixth panel in my ongoing Refugee Project, marking a subtle shift in both the visual language and physical structure of the series. The composition becomes lighter in palette, smaller in scale, and begins to incorporate more sculptural elements. It is reflecting the increasingly complex nature of memory and identity.

The naturally eco-printed background, created with Sumac and other leaves, features soft shades of light brown and olive green. An existing stitched pattern within the fabric is extended with irregular hand embroidery in pink, purple, and blue threads. This introduces an intentionally fragmented rhythm that flows across the surface.

Only three digitally printed butterflies appear in this panel, allowing space for a new element to emerge. Along the edges of the large Sumac leaves, digitally printed historical documents are folded into raised textile forms. Partially obscured by translucent layers of pinks and blues, these fragments suggest memories that are present yet incomplete. Pieces of history that have been altered by time, migration, and recollection.

The surrounding embroidery repeats the irregular language of the stitched background, visually linking the butterflies with the dimensional document forms. Together, these elements create a sense of disruption and reconstruction, reflecting the way personal and collective histories can fracture while still remaining connected.