Separated by two years, one ocean, and 6,738 miles, two natural disasters occurred in locations the artist once called home. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Kaikoura, New Zealand, on November, 14, 2016 and the Thomas Fire followed by the Montecito Debris Flow in Santa Barbara, California on January 9, 2018, instigated a shift in Birana Miyoko Stanley’s art practice.

Miyoko Stanley uses a diverse array of materials - gouache, charcoal, and ink coated Arches watercolor paper for their malleable neutrality. These materials are steeped like tea, left to pool, dehydrate and leave evaporative impressions. For contextual charge, she uses site specific debris as mark making tools and sources of pigment. To measure time, she creates weavings, steel armature, and video projections to build up expressive marks that capture the impression and elasticity of collapsed terrain.

https://www.bristanleyart.com/