Good Luck Series: (clockwise)Seoul, Republic of Korea, Jinshanling, China, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, silk ribbon, various dimensions, 2010. Portraits also included from Washington, D.C.

This work is based on the Japanese tradition of Senninbari; a war-time tradition where a female member of a soldiers' family would collect 1,000 stitches from people in their community. The piece of cloth would be sewn into a belt which was then worn in battle by the soldier for luck and protection.
These pieces are an exploration in making connections, in unexpected exchanges, and in challenging personal vulnerabilities. I approach passing strangers and ask them to contribute a stitch to my cloth, creating the chance to share a moment. Because of language barriers these exchanges often happen mainly through gesture, even when the language is shared the exchange develops out of an instinctual reaction to another person.