November 2015: Adriene Cruz

Adriene Cruz creates lush, rich textile hangings. Her passion for color and texture married to matters of the heart and spirit inspired the creation of these talismans. Ancestral roots real and imagined offered the base to channel ideas of healing and blessings. A native of Harlem, New York, her early childhood creating art has been a source of comfort and healing for her. The desire to engage all the senses encouraged the use of lemon verbena to aid the journey. Amulets formed of mirrors, cowries, beetle wings, sequins, stones and beads stitched to fabric present this offering of love, light and good intention and endless dreaming. "The art I create fulfills a powerful desire to express visually what's not easily spoken. I am moved by a passion for color, a love of symbols, and a deep interest in matters of the Spirit. Blending these elements keeps the rhythms of my roots alive by acknowledging the gifts of my ancestors, angels, and spirit guides. The power of art, beyond its visual image, is developed over time - born of the spirit, of roots, and the celebration of survival.