November  21, 2019-  July 23, 2020

Philadelphia fiber artist Aubrie Costello refers to her work as silk graffiti—hand-shredded dupioni silk strips sewn onto larger fabric banners. She uses the strands of ripped silk to form words and phrases. Costello describes her text-based art as a “response to what I’m observing and what I am feeling. I pay attention to other people’s experiences, my own personal history and evolution, the nuances and subtleties of everyday city life, and the world around me.”

She says it’s challenging to create meaningful, universally thought-provoking work in a succinct style using “just a few words in fabric…a single word can evoke something very different in each of us.” Costello’s work is also dependent on its context as she straddles the worlds of fine art with her gallery exhibitions and street art—phrases that she installs throughout the city on chain-link fences, walls, buildings, and bridges. She describes her outdoor public work as “intimate conversations with passersby.”

Whether installed in interior or exterior settings, Costello’s artwork is unique in its silken materiality and its tattered handwritten phrases. Her poetic words offer open-ended interpretations as personal stories and life events influence each viewer’s perspective.  

This installation was inspired by a short poem written by DJ and poet Mia Moretti.

Visit aubriecostello.com