Local artist FEMS began creating garments only for her closest friends, a side project aimed at giving people artwork that did more than just hang in their house. Two years later, she is preparing to present her work at Phoenix General as the store's newest capsule collection entitled "Dreamscapes" which she describes as “a collection of quality pieces with hand-embellished, wearable art.”
Influenced by Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, FEMS captures the idea of “floating worlds” with melancholist themes in her work. She creates her work as a way to process the highs and lows of life while representing and uplifting the underdog, she says.
As a multimedia artist, her work ranges from paintings to drawings on canvas, wood, clothing, buildings and trains. Referencing daydreams as a main source of her inspiration, FEMS mainly creates out of her art studio or in her room, sketching.
“These two places cater to my introvert needs and help cultivate my imagination by limiting distraction from the outside world.”
When creating, FEMS likes to incorporate elements of the Arizona desert in her work, mainly the mountains, which she says she could draw in her sleep. Something about pants that are drawn on “goes hard” and is “timeless,” she says. Her reworked jeans with Ukiyo-e style drawings speak to her aptitude for hand embellishing pieces of clothing.
Originally from the West Valley, FEMS says Arizona is home to her, and it’s the reason she’s chosen to produce her work in the desert.
“My family has been here for ages, and I feel a natural bone to the soil and people here because of my heritage.”
Not only is Arizona home to her, it’s an evergreen source of artistic inspiration.
“It revives me even in the hottest months.”
In the future, FEMS says she would love to manufacture her own garments and create custom pieces for clients. She’s currently working on a large collection of paintings and hopes to show them by the end of the year.
Join us for the launch of FEMS’s capsule collection "Dreamscapes" from 6-8pm on Friday, July 29, 2022 at Phoenix General Store, Downtown.
IG: @fems.arte