Rya Priede
Think of this as embroidery, with a twist. A lifelong love of sewing and textiles—passed down from a mother who sewed professionally—forms the foundation of this Minneapolis-based artist's work. Now a picture framer with a home studio, she brings that sensibility to a unique blend of image, text, and thread.
Several years ago, she discovered the Big Little Book series—small, 3x3-inch children’s books published from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was drawn to both the illustrations and the story captions, which—when taken out of context and viewed through a feminist lens—become unexpectedly witty, sometimes subversive, and always smile-inducing. Each book page is scanned, enlarged, and mounted on linen to create a strong enough surface for embroidery.
And here’s a little secret: the backs are just as fun as the fronts. With the illustration removed, what remains is soft, colorful thread on neutral linen—a quiet, abstract record of the sewing itself.
Peggy Wanted to Be a Singer
18h x 15w inches, framed
Call to Myra
19h x 16w inches, framed
I’m Not Giving Up
17hx13w inches, print
Dark Glasses
13h x 17w inches, print
The Excitement Is Too Much
17h x 11w inches, print
Unexpected Phone Call
17h x 13w inches, print
Friends
17h x 13w inches, print
What’s Troubling You
17h x 13w, print
“Ugh”
17h x 13w inches, print
“FCK”
17h x 13w inches, print