Claire

McMahon

PAINTER AND FIBER ARTIST

ABOUT MY WORK

Brightly colored portraits and abstractions on patchwork canvas call upon quilt making’s domestic and collaborative history in an exploration of my sister’s rituals and experiences.

Annotated Portrait No. 7
Acrylic paint on canvas appliqué

Annotated Collage No. 4
Acrylic paint on canvas appliqué

ARTISTIC PROCESS

My sister finds comfort in her process of searching for patterns within the words of books. Likewise, I seek patterns in the words and colors chosen in my sister’s annotations and transcribe this data through paint, becoming an archivist and interpreter of my sister’s rituals enacted to find comfort.

My work is an intimate exploration of my sister’s comfort and coping mechanism that allows me to become closer to her and learn more about her. Ultimately, my paintings explore the human impulse to seek out or create patterns and find comfort in their presence.