After the rape, I was haunted. In search of closure, I sewed shut each opening to each component of the outfit I wore when it happened. I sewed the clothing items together in the usual ensemble so as to transform the potential energy of an outfit into an object, a memorial — something no one else could again inhabit. However, the more I learned about my own situation, the more I learned about the systemic nature of sexual and domestic violence. In response, I energized the object again in the form of a flag — still a memorial, but no longer inert.

AVA Gallery, Chattanooga, TN, FASHION, 2018