Crackers (& cookies)

Wool felt snack-inspired sculpture by LeBrie Rich

April 3-26, 2025 Nine Gallery

This is the last day to see “Crackers (& Cookies)” at Nine Gallery. I am contemplating doing an event for this last day of the show, but haven’t firmed up details on that yet. If you know you want to visit with me in addition to seeing my work, come to the opening reception or Cheez-it shirt pop-up. :)

Continuing with my visual explorations of mass-produced food and its cultural significance, I am presenting large-scale felted sculptures—including some snack-inspired furniture—featuring iconic brands of crackers and cookies. Stripped of their familiar outer packaging and magnified well beyond life-size, each object’s formal elements move to the forefront, although the resemblance to the original product is never lost.

In addition to these larger sculptures, the exhibition will include two-dimensional textile pieces I created while living in Amsterdam in 2022. These works contain felted Ritz Crackers, Cheez-Its, Oreos, and other modern snack foods applied to vintage embroidery samplers and textiles sourced from Dutch antique markets. By bringing together art forms from two different cultures and time periods, I illustrate the global reach of American food products, while the countless hours required to create each object offer a pointed critique of our throwaway consumer culture.

LeBrie Rich
CRACKERS (& Cookies)

April 3–26, 2025
Nine Gallery (located inside Blue Sky)

122 SW 8th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
Hours: Wed.–Sat. 12–5pm