BJ Stern is a Detroit-based mixed media artist whose work explores memory, identity, grief, resilience, and the complexities of the female experience. Working primarily with thread, Stern creates large-scale portraits and figurative works that blur the boundaries between drawing, sculpture,...
Read MoreBJ Stern is a Detroit-based mixed media artist whose work explores memory, identity, grief, resilience, and the complexities of the female experience. Working primarily with thread, Stern creates large-scale portraits and figurative works that blur the boundaries between drawing, sculpture, and textile art. Through the repetitive act of stitching, she transforms personal narratives into visual meditations on healing, connection, and transformation.
Influenced by artists such as Mickalene Thomas, Miriam Schapiro, and Frida Kahlo, Stern combines elements of portraiture and landscape to create emotionally charged works that invite viewers to reflect on their own experiences. Her distinctive use of red thread serves as both a material and symbolic language, representing relationships, vulnerability, loss, and the invisible ties that bind us together.
Stern studied at Kendall College of Art and Design and is actively engaged in Detroit’s vibrant arts community. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including the 12th Open International Juried Art Competition in Venice, Italy, as well as regionally through exhibitions such as the Gilda Snowden Memorial Exhibition at the Scarab Club. Through her practice, Stern seeks to create spaces for reflection, empathy, and meaningful human connection.
