Linda Witte Henke
On November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms (a Russian word meaning “to wreak havoc, to demolish violently”) against Jewish populations in Germany and other recently incorporated territories. During this initiative, more than 30,000 Jewish males were rounded up, arrested, and taken to concentration camps where hundreds died […]
Over the years, I’ve accumulated a substantial stash of art publications that I always thought I’d re-visit but never have. Challenged to part with them during a recent studio purge, I ended up tearing out a lot of pages for future collage work, and those tear sheets inspired me to move […]
I so enjoyed working with the momigami process that I created this work, which measures 145 inches high by 7 inches wide. I wound the long, narrow piece into a cluster, prompting the title “Entangled.”
This series began as a lament over the deterioration in the tone of public discourse in our nation, but it evolved into a broader exploration of the impact of language in all human relationships. Each of the paper collages in the 43-piece collection pairs stick-and-stone images with quotations that invite reflection on the profound significance […]
This small vessel was coiled with variegated floss over recycled plastic twine and embellished with a piece of scrap wood.
[69 inches high by 34 inches wide by two inches deep] This work grew out of my experimentation with stitch-weaving fibers of various materials, weights, textures, and finishes through jute soil-erosion cloth. I was mesmerized by the meditative nature of the slow, laborious stitching. As I worked, I would periodically hold the fabric up to […]
[73 inches high by 24 inches wide] This work depicts the disorientation that I experienced, not only through the spread of the COVID 19 virus but also through the absence of a coordinated national response to the virus, offer clear and concise communication about the gravity of the pandemic, embrace scientific wisdom and counsel, […]
[73 inches high by 24 inches wide] This work speaks both to the enormity of the global death toll attributed to the COVID-19 virus and to the continuing death toll as the pandemic rages on. I created this work on a disaster blanket (originally used in prisons and immigration detention centers) using yarn to hand-stitch […]
[10 inches wide by 15 inches high by 7 inches deep] This work was created using improvisational coiling techniques in combination with hemp twine, rope made from recycled plastic bags, and a repurposed basket.
[Basin: 15 inches wide by 15 inches high by 4 inches deep; Ewer: 9.5 inches wide by 13 inches high by 3 inches deep] This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [John 15:12, NRSV] On Maundy Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of his disciples as a […]
[12 inches wide by 69 inches high] This hand-woven work, inspired by the hymn “My Song Is Love Unknown,” was created from repurposed and altered paper (musical scores) and decorative threads in combination with a fabric background.
[13 inches wide by 11 inches high and 13 inches deep] This vessel was created using free-form coiling techniques on a repurposed basket base.
[23.5 inches wide by 23.5 inches high] For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. [Matthew 18:20, NRSV] Waste from the floors of India sari manufacturing facilities, silk fibers harvested by workers from that waste, and yarn spun by workers from those fibers were combined with Eco-Fi felt […]
[35 inch high by 35 inches wide] Created from a collection of free-form, hand-stitched squares, this work used reclaimed materials and found objects to reflect a variety of fiber-related techniques. The squares, which reference personal life themes, form an abbreviated autobiography.
[17 inches wide by 11 inches high by 3 inches deep] This abstract, three-dimensional work was created using free form coiling techniques and rope made from recycled plastic.
14 inches wide by 14 inches high by 3 inches deep This three-dimensional vessel was created using recycled water-bottle caps.
[23 inches wide by 11 inches high by 1.5 to 3.5 inches deep] Rediscoveries of discarded blue jeans, materials inherited from my grandparents, and found/saved objects inspired creation of some free-form, hand-stitched squares. In realizing they were somewhat autobiographical, I assembled them into this book form.
[23 inches wide by 11 inches high by 1.5 to 3.5 inches deep] Rediscoveries of discarded blue jeans, materials inherited from my grandparents, and found/saved objects inspired creation of some free-form, hand-stitched squares. In realizing they were somewhat autobiographical, I assembled them into this book form.
[83 inches high by 39 inches wide] Scripture describes angels as spiritual beings who serve God by conveying messages from God to humankind, foretelling special acts of God, serving as God’s agents (guide, guard, comfort, protect, etc.), and praying/interceding on behalf of humankind. This work depicts the role of angels as guides, guards, protectors, […]
[24 inches wide by 24 inches high] I came that all may have life and have it abundantly. [John 10:10, NRSV] This work employs hand coiling techniques to depict the five loaves and two fishes that demonstrated the abundance of God’s provision.
21 inches wide by 46 inches high Inspired by the continuing rhetoric surrounding “fake news,” this work combines folded strips of discarded newspaper pages with burlap (a fabric used in ancient days to show remorse for one’s sins) and coarse hand stitching to express conviction that, whether the news is “real” or “fake,” our […]
21 inches wide by 34 inches high My maternal grandparents were wheat farmers in Western Kansas. During the winter months, my grandmother quilted and crocheted, and my grandfather wove rag rugs. SO TEACH US combines felted wool that my grandfather had cut into strips for his loom with crochet thread from the stash my grandmother […]
35 inches wide by 13 inches high (installed dimensions) Several decades ago, I had the privilege of living in Okinawa, Japan, for three-and-a-half years. Inspired by memories of the graciousness displayed by our Okinawan neighbors, these three small works reference the three most-common Japanese greetings, as determined by the time of day: Ohayō Gozaimasu (Good […]
[46 inches high by 21 inches wide by 5 inches deep] They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. [Genesis 3.8] Born of […]
14 inches wide by 72 inches high This tapestry was commissioned by Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Indianapolis, IN, in honor of the ministry of its retiring pastor, the Rev. Dr. Marcus Felde. Referencing the hymn by John Fawcett, the tapestry incorporates folded hymnal pages of 42 of the congregation’s most-beloved hymns (one for each year […]
12 inches wide by 13 inches high This abstract work, constructed from dye-painted newspapers, became a sign of hope for spring.
34 inches wide by 18 inches high While much attention tends to focus on God’s creative power, I find that I am equally drawn to God’s recreative power – that is, God’s power and inclination to fashion newness out of the tragic and painful rubble of the human condition. JOSEPH’S COAT: REDUX references the Old […]
47 inches wide by 31 inches high, installed dimensions This abstract work, somewhat reminiscent of the Boro aesthetic, was inspired by my discovery of a box of old blue jeans.
(32 inches wide by 19 inches high) From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you. [Psalm 110:3] Inspired by a phrase in Psalm 110, this work combines my digitally design and commercially printed fabric with dense hand stitching to express the wonder ingredient in each new day.
Four pieces, each 27” wide by 12” high This abstract work celebrates the distinctive palettes of the four seasons.
70 inches wide by 42 inches high Inspired by my discovery of a box of old blue jeans, this abstract work brought to mind the various times and seasons when I wore these garments.
17 inches wide by 26 inches wide by 3 inches deep Begun as a free-form experiment using coarse hand-stitching on burlap, the resulting distortion that was initially a source of frustration eventually evolved into a topographical study of high versus low elevations. I experience it as a celebration of the serendipitous developments that often emerge […]
(42 inches wide by 34 inches high) By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us. [Luke 1:78, NRSV] This work was created from fiber waste gathered by women from Indian from the floors of sari manufacturing facilities and spun into yarn. Save Save
(21 inches wide by 63 inches high by 13 deep) The design for this life-scale, three-dimensional, figurative sculpture was inspired by the Old Testament story (Genesis 19) of Lot’s wife who, when directed by God to flee with her family from Sodom and Gomorrah, looked back in grief and became as a pillar of salt. […]
(48 inches wide by 53 inches high by 6 inches deep) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace […]
For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. [Matthew 18:20, NRSV] While the “goods” produced by the Ziyada enterprise are significant, the “good” being engendered within this context is even more impressive: the sense of community that has developed among the workers. Although the workers represent several of […]
(33 inches by 33 inches) Although Mary is typically imaged as submissive, timid, and subdued, my experiences of the biblical record leave me with a very different impression. This design employs vibrant colors, a whimsical style, and a posture of unrestrained joy to portray Mary as intellectually discerning (“How can this be?”), courageous (“Let it […]
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [John 15:12, NRSV] On Maundy Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of his disciples as a way of demonstrating his mandatum, his commandment that we love one another as he loves us. The Ziyada enterprise, located in India and […]
(17 inches wide by 25 inches high by 6 inches deep) This design was inspired by my own experiences of grief. Because I have experienced grief as having a disorienting quality, the surface of this three-dimensional sculpture features a nineteenth-century technique known as “crazy quilting.” The drab palette expresses what I have experienced as grief’s […]
(24 inches wide by 36 inches high) This design, which focuses on the events of Good Friday, invites theological reflection on universal themes of grief and loss. It was created from artist-dyed cotton that was stenciled with paint and embellished with improvisational machine stitching. Save
(26 inches wide by 11 inches high by 12 inches deep) How often have I, like a mother hen, longed to gather you under my wing, but you would not? [Matthew 23:37] This design was inspired by these words of Jesus, which lament our human inability to comprehend that all are cherished by the same […]
