Art by Trinity member Randy Siegel is on display in the lobby at the North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Avenue, through August. Entitled “Bindings,” the show is inspired by a childhood memory. Siegel explains:

“One of my fondest memories of growing up in Buckhead (Atlanta) was visiting The Oriental Bazaar. Air heavy with the scent of incense, this magical variety shop was a feast to my young senses. Crammed full of exotic treasures from the Orient, I coveted each silk robe, jade Buddha, and jeweled brass knife, but it was the open drawers of inexpensive toys that ultimately captured my attention. Within moments, my eyes would land upon my favorites, the surprise balls: bindings of tightly wound crepe paper that, when unwrapped, contained small tin trinkets.”

This series is a nod to the mythic surprise balls of Siegel’s youth. Scraps of fabric, rope, string, wire, and thread, along with obsessive stitching and often beading, obscure and obstruct hidden aspects of self, often too painful to acknowledge and too beautiful to ignore.

These bindings hold a myriad of emotions, including sadness, regret, a guarded heart, yearning, compassion, and a celebration of essence. With each wrap, knot, and stitch, a shadow aspect of self is concealed and yet revealed. A meditation and a ritual, the creative process has been a holy sacrament of confession, absolution, and integration as shadow aspects of self are brought to light, acceptance, and love.