25 Million Stitches
Jennifer Kim Sohn
June 12 - August 22
reception: Saturday, June 12, 6-9pm
Created by artist Jennifer Kim Sohn, 25 Million Stitches is a community art installation of embroidered fabric panels by volunteers all over the world. By amassing 25 million stitches, this project brings awareness to the 25 million people across the globe who have been forced to flee their homelands as a consequence of genocide, war, poverty, natural disasters, targeted violence, and other grave threats.
How does making 25 million stitches help refugees? We believe that this project is a way for us to engage with this global crisis instead of ignoring it. And even though no single stitch can fully represent an individual, the act of stitching and the resulting work will help bring attention to the scale of the crisis.
Learn more about 25 Million Stitches and how to get involved at www.25millionstitches.com
Artist Information
Jennifer Kim Sohn is a multimedia artist and activist whose work highlights the pressing issues of our time. Her art has been exhibited in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and California. More recently, her work on Biodiversity/Extinction through the Art & Science Collaborations was shown in the New York Hall of Science, The Pennington School, and in online exhibits for the Queens Chronicle and the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. She is a current resident artist at Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento.
Emigrating from South Korea to the USA in the last year of high school, it took “Jungeun” more than a decade to find her voice through her art: commentaries of her American life as an immigrant, daily struggle as a mother, then as an advocate for a fairer world. Jennifer studied design and received her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and MFA from Stanford University. Her fiber work began after taking classes with Carole Beadle at College of Marin. Juxtaposing “domestic” craft such as embroidery and paper felting against challenging current events, Jennifer’s goal is to provide a quiet space for reflection and to inspire people to action.
“Confronted with escalating environmental and social trials daily, I often feel responsible, yet paralyzed to act. I believe that small, sustained changes in our habits both as a consumer and in social interactions are the tools for paradigm change. By working in “traditionally feminine” craft, such as embroidery and textile arts, I hope my art engages others by tapping into our shared experiences and emotions. Ultimately, I hope it empowers viewers to advocate for change and find solutions for the crises and conflicts facing the world today.”
