those in the “Woods in the Library” exhibit. |
Artist and social activist Bayda Asbridge returns to the Lamar Soutter Library as the current Artist in Residence. Her new exhibit “Woods in the Library” is on display through Aug. 29.
Asbridge describes Woods in the Library as an art exhibit that transports the reader to the woods while reading a book.
“The shapes of the vines hanging from trees and wrapping their trunks resemble free calligraphy and art making to me. The natural twisting and curling lines of these vines inspire me to paint them and to use them to stretch my silk on, then paint,” she said. “As an Asian brush painter and Japanese Saori weaver, I glorify mother nature and bring attention to its beauty and vulnerability.”
Born and raised in the Middle East before coming to the United States, Asbridge is a multicultural advocate as well as educator and multimedia artist. She teaches art at the Worcester Art Museum, is an Arabic-English interpreter for UMass Memorial Medical Center and teaches English as a Second Language for adults. In 2014 she founded Healing Fibers, a forum for artists to addresses human rights and social justice through their work.
