BETH Cunningham

Artist Statement

Sisters explores the complex bonds of family—what we reveal, what we protect, and what remains unspoken. Two paper dresses stand together, bound by lineage yet distinct, embodying archetypes of sisterhood: the reserved and the expressive.
The black-and-white dress is restrained and elegant, evoking composure, tradition, and the carefully presented self. The red-and-white dress is more open, layered with embroidery, beads, and family portraits that accrue as memory and narrative.
Together, the dresses become portraits without bodies, contrasting ways of carrying a shared past—one contained, one embellished. Yet appearances never tell the complete story.
Through paper, stitch, photographs, and embellishment, I explore how family identity is constructed and remembered across generations. Sisters considers archetypal family roles, the secrets beneath familiar surfaces, and the invisible threads that bind us even when our stories diverge.