Synkroniciti is excited to welcome writer, painter, and textile artist Cheryl Rezendes of Massachusetts with “Transcendence: An Essay on Art and Grief.” This poignant and vulnerable examination of the relationship between grief and the creative process is accompanied by three of her evocative fabric collages, made from a combination of digitally printed and hand-painted elements. She has an unconventional way of assembling her curated and embellished fabrics, creating a unique expression and experience, quite different from quilting and tapestry. There is a wildness in her patterns that speaks the language of the subconscious, making them apt vehicles for expressing grief and loss.
“Climbing up and down the library stool with pins held tightly between my lips, I add and subtract color, line, shape, and motifs. I step back for a new and hopefully promising look. I am often disappointed but determined, and relentless to find my way—echoing the complicated eight-year odyssey of my life as caregiver for three people I loved very much. I carry those memories in pieces of cloth back to the 8’ x 4’ cutting table and the oversized ironing board.”
The way Cheryl weaves words and fabric with grief is astonishing. What words fail to express the collages embody. Fading Memories combines vibrant red and yellow with grayscale, creating groupings of rectangles that suggest rooms, perhaps a schematic of a house. I imagine it as evidence of habitation, an absence belied by memory. Finding Joy Under the Jewel Trees and Finding Joy Under the Jewel Trees 2 recall Klimt’s depictions of birch trees but are decidedly modern and somewhat abstracted. The colors are soothing and the circular patterns that embellish these trees are a touch whimsical. Joy bubbles out of grief, as if beauty and dignity have been regained and celebrated. There is comfort here.
Experience Cheryl’s vision in Synkroniciti’s “Patterns” issue, available here: https://synkroniciti.com/the-magazine/purchase-individual-issues/.
Cheryl Rezendes lives in the middle of the woods in beautiful Western Massachusetts. She finds the sweet solace of the trees and the cacophony of sounds from the wild animals that live there to be the best environment for writing and painting. The companionship of her partner as well as frequent visits from her three grown sons provide a wonderful community of support for all her creative endeavors. She’ll frequently jump start her work in the studio with an early morning walk through the woods accompanied by her pal Honeycomb, a 7-year-old collie.