Art
Craft
Photography

#celebrities
#embroidery
#found photographs
#portraits

Colorful, Geometric Stitches Embolden Black-and-White Photographs of Historical Figures and Cultural Icons

Yayoi Kusama. All images © Victoria Villasana, shared with permission

When Victoria Villasana (previously) lays a long stitch on a vintage photograph, she’s connecting the pattern or geometric shape to a piece of history, culture, or philosophy. The Mexican artist transforms found black-and-white images of cultural icons and historical figures through vibrant embroideries. Turquoise fibers radiate from Nelson Mandela’s fist, a gold, chevron collar lines Chadwick Boseman’s shirt, and Yayoi Kusma sports a multicolor garment with varying dots and stripes. Emboldened by stitches that often breach the photograph’s edges, the multi-media artworks exude power, strength, and beauty.

Villasana sources many of the images from the public domain, although she sometimes collaborates with photographers, as well. “I think color helps us to connect emotionally and I like to look at the past and merge tradition and vanguard. I’m also interested in symbolism and geometry in art as a way to communicate deeper meanings with each other,” she shares with Colossal.

To explore more of Villasana’s geometric additions, head to Instagram, and see the originals and prints available in her shop.

Chadwick Boseman. Photography by Marcus Smith

Federica Violi

Kara Walker. Photograph by Ari Marcopoulus

Nelson Mandela

Left: Miles Davis. Right: Harriet Tubman

Ryu Gwansun

Yayoi Kusama

#celebrities
#embroidery
#found photographs
#portraits

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