Interview: Ruth Jeyaveeran
Ruth Jeyaveeran uses textiles to examine a shared history of alienation and dissociation. In her soft sculptures and fiber-based installations, the boundaries between human, animal, and flora dissolve to tell a story of isolation, migration, and evolution.
Jeyaveeran's first solo show, Soft Remains, was exhibited at Field Projects in 2023. Other notable exhibitions include Felt Experience at the Brattleboro Museum and Communion, a solo installation at Main Window Dumbo. Her work has been featured at Smack Mellon, ABC No Rio, Westbeth Gallery, The Yard, Ely Center of Contemporary Art, The Border Project, and Bronx Art Space, among others.
Jeyaveeran has been awarded residencies from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The Studios at Key West, Residency Unlimited, Lighthouse Works, Marble House Project, Jentel Foundation, Willapa Bay, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, La Napoule Art Foundation, and PADA Studios. She is an Associate Professor of Textile Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Read our interview with Ruth below!
Installation view at the Brattleboro Museum in Vermont, 2022
PP: Walk us through a typical day in your studio or generally through your process to make new work.
RJ: I sketch a lot. I try to keep it messy and loose. Once I have a direction or a rough idea, I start making before I feel ready. Usually, if I wait until I’m 'ready,' it’s over before it begins. I need a little element of fear, chance, and uncertainty to stay engaged. It’s much easier to tap into my intuitive side when I have little to no idea what I’m doing, and I trust this side of my brain more than the rational side when I’m making work. If I overthink things, it usually doesn’t end well in the studio.
Detail shot of In Every Part of Every Living Thing, 2023
Mama-Sita, Wool, yarn, flower petals, 2023
PP: What motivates you to make art?
RJ: Creating community and connections. Making art is a way of being in the world, grounding myself and figuring out my relationship to nature, time, and other people. It’s cool to be able to communicate ineffable experiences in concrete and material ways.
PP: What is one goal you are aiming to achieve this year for your art practice?
RJ: I want my work to keep growing in scope and taking up more space. I’d love to make a site-responsive immersive installation that surrounds viewers with my little woolly friends!
Studio view of work in progress
Final works Wooly Cairns installed at Queens Botanical Gardens, 2022
PP: Is community something you value in your practice? Why or why not?
RJ: Yes, community is very important to my practice. Right now, I’m part of the Lower Manhattan Workspace Residency on Governor’s Island so my commute involves the ferry! Residencies have been one of the most productive and fulfilling parts of living this lifestyle. I thrive when I’m working among a group of like-minded people. As we get older forming new deep friendships gets harder and harder and residencies are one of the best ways to build community and make lasting connections.
PP: What is your process like for critiquing your own work?
RJ: Though it’s tempting, it’s not helpful to edit myself or critique my work at the beginning of the process. I try to focus on my emotional state and being honest and authentic. Critiquing my work usually involves alot of time and thinking, putting something away letting it live and breathe ahd reevaluating it later. I try to keep in mind that I can be overly self-critical and my first opinions and snap judgments about my work can be very wrong. I know that I’ve missed out on good ideas by editing myself too early in the process.
To learn more about Ruth’s work, see her Instagram and Website