The Stitching Years represents a body of work created by mixed-media artist Downy Doxey-Marshall between 2004-08. Armed with a palette of thread and the power of nostalgia, her work speaks to the impact of clothing and furniture in our daily lives. She creates tactile portraits featuring these treasured objects, which often become synonymous with the people who wear and use them.

Doxey-Marshall writes, “I decided to show myself during these years. By creating self-portraits with the focus diverted to my attire, I could be present and hidden in the same piece. Jackets and robes became the stars. The patterns were created by the thread, like a trail left from a memory. Time passes while we live out our lives in the spaces filled with the things we collect and the people we love.”