Portland artist Beth Yazhari collects delicate fragments of antique lace and embroidery from different cultures and combines them into intricate compositions that reference both East and West.

By rescuing discarded doilies and pieces of folk embroidery and recycling them into her beaded paintings, she intentionally collaborates with the creative spirit of women of the past. Her globally inspired pieces, with their intricate symmetry, painted “stitches,” and richly layered fields of color, take inspiration from Persian carpets, quilts, and abstract expressionist paintings. Her reconstruction of traditional articles of women’s handiwork, particularly Victorian Era mourning veils, symbolizes a release of female energy and capacity from historical constraints.

Beth is the featured artist at the Fiber Arts Collective at 37 N. Third Street, Ashland, from May 3rd through June 29th, 2024. She will be present to visit with the public during First Friday Art Walk, May 3rd, 5 to 7:30 p.m.