Cecilia Crowe

Monoprint Quilt #1 (2022)
Monoprinting and drypoint etching on rag paper, reused and recycled fabrics (velvet, velveteen, satin, lace, leather, woven, and knit fabrics), thread, wool yarn, baby-blanket yarn. One continuous backing piece and several smaller edge fabric pieces, with rag paper attached to the front through various methods (machine and hand sewing, weaving) 89” x 57”

Monoprint Quilt #1 is a multimedia work that attempts to investigate ideas of individuality, collective experience, and attachment. Stitching together memories and experiences, the goal of this work is to create an album of experiments in monoprinting, a medium which offers a lot of freedom in its rejection of serial iteration. My ancestors made quilts often using fabrics from their own clothes to create utilitarian patterns of everyday familiarity. This piece is a decomposition of the art of quilting, and an incorporation of the preciousness and singularity of monoprinting. Each print is a representation of a moment in time, an experience, or a fascination of mine.

The patchwork arrangement of the prints, attachment methods, and varieties of texture on both the prints and border fabrics are part of my attempt to create a whole representation of my identity and ‘self’. This work is one way I am beginning to honor the memories and experiences that I personally am invested in, turning away from the more traditional ideas of theme and toward my own interests.

Cecilia Crowe (she/her)

Cecilia Crowe is a Studio Art and Environmental Studies double major at NYU Steinhardt (2026) and has been making art since early childhood. Born in New Jersey with roots in the southern United States, Cecilia is inspired by consumer culture in both regions and loves to investigate “junk”, items people designate as trash, and how the things we have come into conversation with who we are. Her main focus at the moment is using the lens of her family history to discover more about herself and to contrast against her present day experiences in a hyper-urban environment. Cecilia is a mixed media artist currently enjoying printmaking, textile arts, watercolor and oil painting, and wood sculpture. Her work was previously selected for the Morris Museum juried exhibition Fresh Perspectives, and she was among the recipients of a New Jersey Governor’s Award in Art Education in 2022. Beyond art making, Cecilia enjoys taking care of her 16 chickens and 2 dogs at home, hiking, singing, and writing letters on her ‘52 alpine blue Silent Super typewriter.

Artist Statement

Through my work, I often take objects that are considered "junk" or disposable and put them in a new context, transforming their surroundings and therefore how they are perceived. I aim to challenge common perceptions of value and elevate the often-overlooked objects around me. My multi-media practice includes printmaking, painting, sculpture, drawing, and textile arts among others. Each media allows me to reflect on the materiality and physical existence of the objects or stories I am trying to convey through my work. Each allows me to reach people in different ways. I draw inspiration from my family and their stories, especially the physical legacies that they leave behind. I am particularly fascinated by collections, and my own collections of objects like stamps, bottles, bread clips, letters, fruit stickers, jewelry, and other objects serve as the starting points for many of my pieces. I love memorializing collections through artwork, appreciating their social life and role in constructions like domesticity and urbanity. I like to explore their existence as a bridge between “public” and “private” space, as many objects are at once advertising to you and serving as a source of personal comfort.