Soft Grids

Sánchez’s practice has always been grounded in joy, play, and the construction of comfort. Her works involve knitting large, linear “noodles” which she then stuffs with fiber material to create large-scale “soft sculptures.” The noodles are created in a variety of vibrant colors that are then woven together, some with exposed ties at the end, others in clean folds. Each weave highlights the materiality of the work, and the hands that created them.

Sánchez, who is of Panamanian and American descent, grew up watching her grandmother sew clothes. When she grew older, Sánchez worked as a seamstress herself and began making her own textiles through knitting. With the onslaught of the 2020 Pandemic, Sánchez began to explore her work as an aid or comfort during hard times. The plush, organic nature of the noodles, when woven together, is reminiscent of something one would use to soothe themselves as a child, or a soft pillow to lay your head on at night. The soft forms provide a sense of ease and familiarity for the viewer, evoking both an immediate sense of calm but also joy.

In Soft Grids, the soft forms of Sánchez’s work are combined with an exploration of new materials. Sánchez repurposes recycled fiber fill along with a variety of fabrics and yarns to create dimension and texture in each work: eyelash yarn is woven around iridescent fabrics and mohair rests on colorful knits. The play of color, line, and texture adds in unexpected moments of discovery for the viewer.