Drea Harpers practice in both fashion design and art is a manipulation in the collective attachment to identity and gender, to both reify and further abstract the ritualistic act of getting dressed. Using sewing, crochet and found objects, Harper explores her fascination with texture, color, and unconventional silhouettes. Considering the global ramifications of mass production and labor exploitation within the fashion industry, Harper's up-cycling reestablishes cult value in discarded textiles and sentimental objects. Her practice is a pernicious investigation of the body, and the clothes we adorn it with, as a site of imagination, self-identification, and play.

Drea Harper (B. 1997) is an apparel designer and artist, and Actualize AiR. Born & raised in Flint, MI, Harper relocated to Seattle in 2016, where she currently resides. Self taught in design and garment construction, Harpers practice investigates a simultaneous interest in wearable and visual art, working to abstract the lines between the two. Holding a BA in Art History from the University of Washington, Harper currently works in art fabrication & installation.