Grace Kubilius works primarily with wearable sculptures, and performance. Kubilius received her BFA in fiber and experimental fashion from MICA is 2013. She is currently working on her MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has also studied at the Paris College of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. So far, she has shown work at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Society for Contemporary Craft, Reese Gallery, St. Louis Fashion Week, and more. She currently is based in Chicago.
Kubilius likes to work with the idea of identity, gender, trauma, ugliness, self-image, and objectification. She prefers for her models to have their faces obscured to keep the focus on the art, rather than the model. She feels that these objects that hide the person are like the memories and trauma she carries around in her body. Kubilius usually works with yarn, rope, paint, trash bags, coffee filters, and other unconventional materials. The "Junk Bones" collection is about destruction, reconstruction, and decay. Her "Oh How I Love You" collection is about "the curious nature of affection". The pieces are meant to trade out the superficial aspect of love for playfulness and genuine understanding instead.
Links
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marthe-weyandt/mindful-exploring-mental-_b_9212680.html
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/st-louis-artist-uses-fiber-masks-and-plastic-garbage-bags-talk-about-body-image#stream/0
http://www.gracekubilius.com/
http://www.newsadvance.com/the_burg/features/lynchburg-college-exhibit-explores-mental-health-through-art/article_a4de40ab-3688-5cdb-bea3-3669c696d2f4.html