I've spent much of the past two decades living and working on the Tibetan Plateau. I’ve become fascinated with the fiber art traditions of the region along the way—both from the pastoralist perspective of caring for the land and producing fiber, and the artisan perspective of creating textiles.
My signature work centers on the ‘slingshot weaving technique’, a practice I learned from Tibetan nomads. Tibetans weave small slingshots to protect and herd their animals using short sticks as a loom. I've adapted this weaving tradition, enlarged it to huge proportions and incorporated a wooden dowel weaving structure (in place of the set of small sticks that are normally removed after weaving) as part of the final art piece.
I'm guided by my fascination for the process and stories behind my materials. I design and source all of my yarn and rope directly from fiber-producing communities in Tibet, Nepal, India and at home on the West Coast. I founded Love Fest Fibers, a yarn and fiber goods company, out of my dedication to supporting these communities of pastoralists and fiber craft artisans.
I received a BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Pitzer College, an MA in Environment & Development from King's College London and completed Tibet University's two-year Tibetan Language Program in Lhasa.
