I sew paper as a way to reinterpret and explore the continuing value of handicraft traditions in our times. I start with blank printmaking paper on which I create designs, repeat pattern and random, using a variety of media. Then I cut the paper into shapes to find a new layer of design. To assemble the pieces I sew them together into new constructions, drawing upon quilting patterns.

Through quilting, women have told many stories. They have told stories of where they lived, what they had, how much they had and who they were. They told stories of abundance and refined skill, to scarcity and survival. In my piece based on quilting traditions, I am telling the story of the times in which I live and of a great ecological disaster taking place, the phenomenon of colony collapse disorder. Through color, density of pattern and content I am graphically decrying the loss of pollinators and hinting at the grey future ahead.

Christine Meuris graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Environmental Studies. Since that time she has worked in various youth development non-profits and schools while developing her studio practice, raising two daughters.