Rachel Blythe Udell is a fiber artist who resides in South Jersey, part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Known for using repurposed textiles, Udell’s interest in fabric began after her mother passed away. It was Udell’s way to grieve and honor her “mom’s expansive love of clothing that left a lasting impression on me. The way that she dressed was one of her primary modes of creative expression.” UdelI started making sculptural forms and collages using her mother’s clothing and other household textiles. Later, her work incorporated clothes from other relatives, friends, and found fabrics that she admired for their colors and textures.

Udell has described her abstracted forms as inspired by nature, “flower buds and blooms, acorns and gourds, trees, the woods, the mountains, rivers, streams,” and the interconnectedness between nature and humankind. “All of these things are echoed within our bodies, like organs and branching arteries and veins, capillaries…Nature elicits awe.” 

Here, Udell has created a “softer version of reality,” where the elements “sing to each other, their souls are vibrating. They blossom and curl and glitter and glow.” This installation was created in the spirit, that “today, more than ever, the sacred connectedness of lifeforms and the environment within which they live is so crucial.” 

Visit rachelblytheudell.com.