Calm Imperfection part of Mandalas of Transformation

2026.008

Calm Imperfection part of Mandalas of Transformation

Beerbower, Michelle

2026

6 inch diameter

This piece is a crocheted mandala designed and made by textile artist Michelle Beerbower. It was made in 2026 as an additional piece in her collection “Mandalas of Healing”. The artist used US hook size I-9 with cotton yarn. This piece was made as a tribute to her journey and continued story of healing and going from chaos to harmony. It tells the story of family, meaning, and the contributing factors of our journey on this earth and our artful expression. The artist’s grandmother sat with her patiently showing her how to use her own youthful hands to weave the loops and stitches with grace precision and great care. This mindfulness in motion creative endeavor weaves stories, prayers, and wishes into the fabric with each stitch. There is a remarkable significance in the cadence of creating a series of repetitive knots and turning them into beautiful treasures to adorn the body or the home. Creation with the hands awakens a deep awareness of the beauty and the value of “things” in our lives. But more than that, looping the yarn invites peace and a deeply spiritual story emerges with the collection of stitches. Taking the seemingly chaotic group of knots and transforming them into an artful item to behold is a transcendent experience.

The significance of circles plays a key role in the artist’s vision for her collection. For instance, circles are representative of enlightenment, or they may represent the spirit. In indigenous cultures, circles are used for sweat lodges and drum circles and represent harmony, balance and treasured oneness with nature. Knots also carry a specific significance as they are used in prayer beads symbolizing the connection to the higher power. The artists finds that repetitive knots create a quiet atmosphere to connect and for healing.

Mandalas are significant to the artist given they represent the transformation and healing from trauma and chaos to harmony and balance. Her collection of “Mandalas of Transformation” are representative of a scar, seen, heard, validated and healed. Additional mandalas are continuously being created to represent the intention to heal, to bring hope, to show support, to bring a splash of color or simply to be a whimsical reminder of our Divinity.

Michelle Beerbower