Jenni Sorkin

About the Author

Jenni Sorkin is an acclaimed art historian, curator, and professor whose scholarship illuminates the intersections of craft, gender, and cultural memory. With a PhD from Yale University, she has held prestigious positions at institutions like the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she teaches courses on modern and contemporary art with a focus on fiber arts and feminist theory. Sorkin's research explores how textiles serve as vessels for personal and collective narratives, particularly in contexts of grief and resilience. Her seminal book, On Loss and Absence: Textiles of Mourning and Survival, delves into the material culture of mourning, drawing on archival sources and ethnographic fieldwork to reveal the enduring power of handmade objects in processing human loss. A frequent contributor to journals such as Artforum and October, Sorkin bridges academia and public discourse, advocating for the recognition of women's contributions to art history. Her work continues to inspire interdisciplinary dialogues on craft's role in contemporary society.