Sarah Blanchette "You speak so well now"

Sarah C. Blanchette (she/her) is a photo-based fiber artist working out of the Detroit, Michigan area in the U.S. Her artistic practice unfolds in two intertwined veins: one exploring the "Fragmented Woman," a duality formed from the tension between her real-life identity and digital persona, and the other examining her place within her family's timeline, seeking to understand how their lives shape her own. By manipulating imagery from personal archives—self-portraits, family photos, and social media—Blanchette uses fabrics like silk, velvet, and oilcloth to reconstruct these fragmented identities. Her work is a reflective process, addressing the complexities of identity, lineage, and memory through tactile, primarily hand-sewn artworks that seek to bridge the gap between self and history. Each piece becomes a meditation on personal transformation, memory preservation, and the search for continuity in a rapidly shifting world. Since establishing her studio practice in 2015, Blanchette has exhibited her work nationally and online across galleries, museums, zines, blogs, and artist-run spaces. In addition to her creative practice, she is the Co-Founder of the artist collective Critical Stuff. Blanchette earned a BA in Journalism and Studio Art Photography from Oakland University in 2015 and an MFA in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2017. She is currently pursuing an MBA with a marketing concentration at Oakland University. A dedicated artist and active community member, she is a Juried Artist Member of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) and a member of Embrace Creatives, the Surface Design Association (SDA), and the Detroit Artists Market (DAM).

“English Paper Piecing is one of the oldest forms of hand quilting. It is the base for the famed grandmother quilt made of hexagon flowers. It is also a huge source of community for women as they sit in groups to work on their EPP projects and trade fabric hexagons with one another. The process is also physically draining and time consuming, which is why it is often not a solitary practice. I found that stripping the community from such rigorous processes allowed me to push my body and attention span." - Sarah C. Blanchette

Title Origin: ‘You look like you lost weight! Ladies love hearing that.’ was said to me by my former tax guy. He said the first half of the statement to me and the second to my husband.” - Sarah C. Blanchette