Rachael Mayer

I am a creative soul. Photographs with just the right lighting take me to a higher state of being. I look at objects and wonder how I can embroider them. And when something's broken, I fix it--usually with embroidery floss and duct tape.

As a Willamette University alumna in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, I have a deep respect for the people and organizations around me. I work in social justice communities becuase I believe that through education and engagement we can change the way we speak and act around oppression.

My art is about community, history, and identity. My landscape photographs are ridden with place meanings and have always been taken within the larger context of belonging. I find connection to the places I visit and find meaning while looking through a camera lens. Fiber work feeds my need for tactile object creation. I love the feel of fabric under my fingers and have embroidered linen, canvas, photographs, and paper. My connection to fiber work stems back generations--to my mother, great-grandmother, and the many extraordinary women in our collective past. They are strings pulling my heart, encouraging me to stretch beyond my limits.

I am privileged. I live in a time and place where I can explore my creativity and share it with the world. I hope you find something you like.