A young Portuguese woman turns away from the industrial loom, threads in hand, while the government photographer snaps her photograph. Summer of 1916 in a Fall River factory, Massachusetts.

“Albina” Summer, 1916
Graphite on paper
Sierra Lowe | 2018

Creating these portraits, based upon real people from the past, is an opportunity to explore a life and time other than our own. Lovingly working on their portraits, I am rendering them as carefully as I would my own ancestors, while preparing them to be a source of strength and foundation for whomever chooses to bring their memory into their home. The calm faces from the past at once offer comfort but also a broader perspective that removes us from the hyper-focus of our day-to-day. If ‘Albina’ speaks to you, if she represents an ancestor you would gladly look up to, I invite you to bring her into your family.

Original artwork
Lightweight, off-white frame
Polystyrene protective face for safe shipping
Saw-Tooth hanger

(Note: Frame, mat and paper may vary between arctic-white and off-white)