About

I embroider portraits of people we should be learning about and from. This collection centers women and gender non-conforming people that have been unnoticed, forgotten, or erased from the history we learn in school.

This project began because I wanted to expand my definition of ancestors and familial history. Who has shaped us? Who can shape us?

My portraits are simple, relying solely on shape and space to emphasize the uniqueness and beauty in faces we have overlooked. I use single-color line work and neutral backgrounds to focus the viewer's gaze.

Exhibitions

• Roe 2.0 - It Ain't Over Yet! — Woman Made Gallery Chicago, IL

  A subset of the hoops in this collection appeared in the virtual exhibition at Woman Made Gallery.

The Artist

Mercedes Bernard is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Chicago. She enjoys using mediums that have typically been reserved for domestic settings. In her art, she plays with textures you can feel and forms you can hold. She is currently working as a software engineer.