After experiencing the life-altering impact of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, I created a body of work to document my journey of resilience. The devastation of Hurricane Sandy was painfully evident in the wreckage of homes—my own and my parents’ among them. Just months after the storm, I suffered the loss of both parents: my father passed away soon after, followed by my mother seven months later. From the remnants of shattered homes, I pieced together salvaged wood, creating works that resemble patchwork quilts. Traditional American quilts—with their formal, abstract beauty rooted in women’s domestic work like sewing, weaving, and quilting—felt both comforting and empowering to me, as I’ve been quilting since my teens.

As I share my personal story of the climate crisis and seek to inspire action, I recognize that the significance of Hurricane Sandy has faded into the backdrop of other climate-related events. This has led my work to embrace a broader theme: one of transforming personal loss and hardship into a catalyst for community and empathy, underscoring our collective resilience.

Recently, I’ve found inspiration in Gaston Bachelard's The Poetics of Space, which explores how domestic spaces shape our perceptions, memories, and even dreams. This exploration has deepened my commitment to using discarded furniture and other household remnants—materials infused with memory and history. Through my wood quilt series, I aim to evoke reflection on our intimate spaces and foster a greater awareness of our shared home, the Earth. By repurposing these materials, I honor the resilience and ingenuity of traditional women’s arts, like weaving, needlepoint and quilting, and address the urgent need to rethink our relationship with the environment.