I am an international, environmental artist using recycled materials to address the impact of climate change on bird life and indigenous culture. My work is exhibited in galleries, museums and universities around the world and I give gallery talks and lectures to amplify the ecological issues presented in my artwork. My studio team works with me to create feathers used in my sculptures and installations. These feathers are fabricated from recycled plastic that’s silk screened with images from my drawings of endangered birds. Many of these feathers are overprinted with indigenous languages like Shorthand, Yiddish, Purepecha and Cho’lol, that are also threatened by the same factors facing birds: habitat fragmentation caused by explosive development and climate change.
Making artwork with recycled plastic feathers embeds a layered narrative that addresses the relentless consumerism driving the loss of both bird and human habitat. Integrating ecological narratives into my abstract artwork using my textile design training enables me to create monumental artwork that maintains a fiber sensibility while simultaneously confronting the viewer with complex environmental issues presented within a decorative aesthetic. Not unlike mating plumage!
For me, the personal is political. I create meaningful jobs in my art studio for women in my community. Together we work as a team to assemble thousands of feathers used to build my high impact artwork. We model what the world could look like if we habitually supported and mentored women. A team studio practice
Learn More: https://deborahkruger.com