Kimberlea Bass

My work is deeply rooted in memory, nostalgia, and the fragmented nature of personal history. Beginning with a foundation in photography, I incorporate historic photo practices alongside found objects, aged materials, and stitching to explore the remnants of family, home, and time. The dismantling of personal connections informs my practice, compelling me to collect discarded heirlooms, vintage images, and organic materials that once held significance. Through motherhood and lineage, I often consider the evolving roles of women within the family. How do we navigate our roles across generations? How have expectations shifted over time? My grandmother’s doilies, once cherished and presented as symbols of care and homemaking, now turn up in yard sales, discarded. By repurposing them, I seek to restore their significance—transforming them into something precious again, but in a different context. Whether it’s doilies, silverware, or vintage photographs, the sentiment remains the same: these once-treasured objects are given new life, their histories woven into the present. Through layering, binding, stitching, and weaving, I acknowledge both the beauty and the scars left behind by grief and change. My work is not just a reconstruction of the past but a recognition of its weight in the present. How does nostalgia function in our lives—is it an act of longing, healing, or transformation? How do we navigate the tension between remembering and letting go? I am particularly drawn to the relationship between time and memory. How do objects hold memory? How do the physical qualities of materials—aged photographs, textiles, found objects—shape the emotional weight of what we create? What is a woman’s role in today’s society, and how do we reconcile tradition with self-determination? At its core, my work acknowledges people, places, and histories that might otherwise be forgotten. By reassembling what has been discarded, I strive to create meaning from loss and offer space for reflection. Viewers engage with textures, layers, and symbols within each piece, drawing connections to their own histories and emotions. Ultimately, my work evokes the feeling of coming home—not to a physical place, but to an understanding of the past’s enduring presence in shaping who we are and how we move forward. Through my practice, I aim to spark conversations about collective memory, the passage of time, and the evolving nature of identity.