Brooklyn-based artist Erin M. Riley is preparing to unveil her latest and largest weavings in a solo exhibition at New York's P.P.O.W gallery in September 2025. Her tapestries tackle hard-hitting themes such as family trauma and domestic abuse, drawing on memory, photographs, and everyday iconography. Riley, who studied at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and Tyler School of Art and Architecture, initially faced pushback from both galleries and traditional weavers but has since become a leading figure in the blurring of fine art and craft. Her new works incorporate embroidery for the first time and include pieces like "Road Reverberations" (2024), which uses crowdsourced quotes from survivors of abusive relationships.
This article matters because it highlights the ongoing collapse of hierarchies between fine art and craft, with fiber art gaining recognition in the contemporary art world. Riley's career trajectory—from early struggles to a solo show at Mother's Tankstation in London and now a major exhibition at P.P.O.W—exemplifies a broader shift in institutional and market acceptance of textile-based practices. Her work also addresses urgent social issues, using personal and collective narratives to foster dialogue around trauma and shame, making her a significant voice in both artistic and cultural conversations.