KENDRA BARNOWSKI
Fiber and Textiles
As a Detroit based textile artist and fashion accessory designer, Kendra is a highly versatile maker. She enjoys blurring the lines between art, design, and craft, which all intersect in fashion and fibers. Her practice emphasizes gracefulness, intentional materials, functionality, and conscientious construction.
Kendra’s overarching influences include theater, history (especially of costume), her Roman Catholic background, and witnessing the effects of Huntington’s disease on individuals close to her. In her work, Kendra attempts to translate scraps of her own worldly experience into something tangible and universal. She embraces the creative process first and foremost as a way for individuals to connect to each other and remain present in the here and now.
Website: kendrajeandesigns.com
Email: kendra@kendrajeandesigns.com
Instagram: kendra_jean_designs
Facebook: @kjartanddesign
Mask in Purple, 2019
Polyester velvet, papier maché, embroidery thread, ribbon, knit polyester lining
10” x 10” x 3”
Mask in Black, 2019
Polyester velvet, papier maché, embroidery thread, ribbon, lace, knit polyester lining
10” x 10” x 3”
Mask in Yellow, 2019
Polyester velvet, papier maché, embroidery thread, ribbon, beads, lace, knit polyester lining
10” x 10” x 3”
Costume Illustrations, 2020
Marker and colored pencil on paper
21” x 11”
Coat, 2020
Melton wool, rust-dyed cotton lining, polyester velvet, embroidery thread, cord, grommets
16” x 37”
Coat, 2020
Melton wool, rust-dyed cotton lining, polyester velvet, embroidery thread, cord, grommets
16” x 37”
Vest, 2020
Nuno-felted organza, cotton, polyester, metal buttons
15” x 18”
Vest, 2020
Nuno-felted organza, cotton, polyester, metal buttons
12” x 18”
Pants, 2020
Devoré velvet, rust-dyed yarn, elastic
12” x 34”
Curio Brains, 2019
Roving & assorted yarns
7” x 9” x 4”
KENDRA BARNOWSKI
Originally a simple discussion of personal fears, this collection embarks on an in-depth analysis of deterioration, both physical and psychological. A long-pondered man-versus self conflict rages between callous rusting, burning, and tearing and meticulous elegance and polish, personified by elements of the human nervous system.
Creation of costumes seeks to acknowledge the performative aspect of everyday life, in which each person curates for oneself a protective layer, a heavily embellished “skin” to show the world in place of insecurities and perceived flaws. The laborious physical process of small-scale surface manipulation equates to significant emotional labor invested in fear and in building up a delicate public persona. Yet, suppose one’s capacity for control is eventually diminished? Inevitably, the ruse fails, the ritual collapses, and one’s raw self is laid bare.
“We are what we pretend to be….” –Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night
“All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts…” –Wm. Shakespeare, As You Like It