TOMO MORI  |  ART

I make fiber art installations with hand-woven ropes from used clothes and linens donated by family and friends, giving new life to no longer desired items and including the community in my art. 

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I approach my work as a form of painting. Fabric scraps are colors on my palette: vintage kimonos, summer camp T-shirts, and well-loved tablecloths. Introducing different cultural references in patterns and colors from all over the world, I mix them into a linear rope form as a gesture toward interconnection. 

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In recent years, I have found emotional comfort in weaving ropes as a meditative ritual wishing for a peaceful, non-violent society. I later discovered that my grandmother's family was a rope manufacturer when my mother remarked that it was interesting that I was making ropes "like I'm supposed to." The structure of ropes also fascinates in that braiding two opposing forces creates strength.

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With wires inside, those ropes are composed to be touchable sculptures and installations referencing metaphoric objects or forms like the human body or a tree. The installations are mostly site-specific, displayed on the wall, self-standing on the floor or tabletop, and hanging from the ceiling.