Kerry Goulder
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Seeking Closure
My collection Seeking Closure includes a series of six garments with oversized sewing “closures” and plush accessory elements. I used french terry and jersey knit fabrics to create a soft and comforting tactile experience, which I combined with silhouettes from the 1980s and 1990s, like tracksuits and flight jackets. Inspired by the large-scale soft sculpture work of Claes Oldenburg and Flavor Flav's clock necklaces, I created these closure elements on a larger scale to visually communicate learning and growth. Channeling the deep symbolism in Dutch still-life paintings, these closure elements, gridwork, stripes and other features, act as secret codes that tell my story and represents various moments in my life, including the first time I attended college thirty three years ago, my previous career in the fashion industry, and my sewing pattern company, Kid Giddy(™). Some people journal with words, I journal with fabric. Creating my collection Seeking Closure has provided me an opportunity to process years of my own grief, trauma, hopes and dreams, to heal my younger self and finally close this chapter. I’m looking forward to opening the next chapter and seeing how this collection, and all that I have learned here, will enhance my studio practice.