Slick Woods II (thread, acrylic, raw canvas; 24 x 27 in) deepens Brandi Kole’s investigation into portraiture as a constructed surface. Each facial feature is built on its own fragment of fabric, stitched into place with lines that wander, overlap, and pull the image slightly apart.

The layered patches and expressive threadwork create a portrait that feels both intimate and unsettled, revealing how identity can be assembled from pieces that don’t always align cleanly.

Painted washes interact with stitched marks, allowing the face to shift between clarity and distortion. In this work, Kole continues to use familiar materials to expose unfamiliar stories, inviting viewers to consider how a facade can hold multiple versions of a person at once.