Annaliese Allen: 'Redemption'

I recently discovered a fascination regarding the histories and traditions surrounding tea. The ritual of making tea, the warmth it brings, and the community it cultivates, has held a significant space in my life.

In many of my relationships, vulnerable raw stories have been shared with a cup of tea in hand. Reflecting the slow process of tea practices, I have implemented collage and assemblage to tell the most vulnerable aspects of my story. When deconstructed, used tea bags are incredibly delicate, possessing an organic, skin like quality that references the human body.

While every stitch forms a patchwork of all that I am, revealing my fragility, flaws, and failings, it is the promise of redemption that brings hope and healing to both my work and my life.