Deborah Valoma's early studio practice explored the sculptural possibilities of cloth constructed around the armature of the body. In recent years she has returned to this strategy in a new arena—the stage. Her work exploits the volatile, kinesthetic properties of cloth to energize the visual impact of dancers’ movements, expand the three-dimensional contours of their bodies, and geometrically map their movements through space. Experimental or traditional, these costumes are heavily researched, employing historic models and cross-cultural philosophies of color and materiality as modes of meaning.
