Naomi S. Adams is an award winning contemporary textile and book artist. Her artwork is consistently shown internationally and nationally and in diverse venues ranging from galleries to public works installations. Naomi holds an M.F.A. from the University of North Texas in Studio Art, Fibers. Naomi’s work was included in Quilt National 2011, and received the "Most Innovative Use of the Medium Award." Naomi S. Adams is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Art at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. She is the coordinator for the Fiber Media and Papermaking areas. Her work is held in numerous private and public collections including the University of Denver Library, Emory University Library, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts and the University of North Texas Special Collection.
I am fascinated by the way that we constantly adapt to change and are continually reconfigured by our experiences and influences from the world around us. Our relationships are expected to respond to good and bad times, growth, challenges and change. As we mature, our relationships become complex, altered versions that have more layers, depth, and meaning. We may want to cover up experiences or parts of our lives, but remnants of those parts of ourselves are always there, in some manifestation, often peeking out from behind a front we have created. Exploring these guarded parts of ourselves and others invites intimacy, empathy, and understanding in relationships. I am intrigued with the process of creating, deconstructing, and then redefining a new composition to communicate the depth of our complex, multi-faceted lives and ever evolving relationships. My artwork references relationships from many different perspectives. My artist's books reference relationships in the context of food and drinks and their roles in celebrations, personal relationships and phobias and other's responses to them.
Structural Relationships is an altered book. As a fiber and book artist, this artist’s book investigates the structure of a book acting as a weaving loom. This piece speaks to layers of meaning in relationships. Most of the book has been concealed, showing only a map and the new textile it has helped create. Perhaps we are covering up parts of our lives and trying to find our way using maps or signs. Or, we may be using our past to create a structure and foundation for new experiences.