Erin M. Riley

In her large-scale tapestries, Erin M. Riley weaves intimate explorations of identity and the effects of generational trauma on developments of self and community. Riley hand-dyes her own wool yarns to achieve color palettes that faithfully approximate the light qualities of digital images and photographs, and textures that suggest the grainy picture quality of webcams and smartphone screens. Poring through memories, family histories, and internet archives, Riley reflects on self-representation and relationships in digital culture with vulnerable, painterly depictions of sexuality, selfharm, and violence. Riley’s works conjure haunting experiences and imagined catastrophes as opportunities to address shared traumas, anxieties, and fears.