Exhibit featuring botanical samples, embroidery coming to Reston Town Center

RestonNow.com February 2, 2023 at 1:32pm

A new exhibit featuring intricate embroidery on leaves is set to open soon at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art‘s satellite gallery in Reston Town Center.

Artist Hillary Waters Fayle’s work, “Remnants and Echoes,” will open tomorrow (Friday) at 6 p.m. at the Signature apartment building’s ground-floor gallery. There will be a members-only preview from 5:30-6 p.m. with the institute’s curatorial staff.

The exhibit features samples from two of Fayle’s series: Stitched Botanicals, that includes intricate embroidery on individual leaves, and “Portraits of Place,” which includes botanical samples and large mandala-inspired arrangements of the samples.

Here’s more from Tephra on the exhibit:

This exhibition shows examples from these two series and takes a broader look at the variety of modes of making that comprise her practice, including cyanotypes, collage work, patterns cut into leaves, hand-drawn quilt squares, and composition studies sewn from fabric scraps – many of which have not previously been shown publicly. Through this survey of material processes, Remnants and Echoes traces the artist’s exploration of naturally occurring patterns and savors the revelatory potential of her deliberately slow pace.

The exhibit is free and open to all. Visitors are welcome to the building at 111850 Freedom Drive on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fayle is an assistant professor and directs the fiber program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her work focuses on bringing elements of humanity and the physical world together.

“We all have a deep historical and lived experience with cloth- powerful and ever present. Plants and cloth both represent specific and symbolic connections to place, time, people and memory,” Fayle said.