PHILADELPHIA — “In Material: Fiber 2012” opens at the University of Pennsylvania’s Arthur Ross Gallery on Saturday, Jan. 28. 

Featuring four artists who bring innovation to the field of fiber art through their use of unexpected materials, “In Material” deconstructs the popular definition of textile art.

California-based Lucy Arai re-invigorates the practice of sashiko, a decorative stitching process, and applies it to handmade paper and mixed media.

Sonya Clark, the chair of the craft/material studies department at Virginia Commonwealth University, uses thread, plastic combs, human hair and found objects to create ancestry-inspired works.

Philadelphia-based artist Mi-Kyong Lee, chair of the fiber arts department at the University of the Arts, creates woven backdrops that have been incorporated into theater productions around the globe.

Cynthia Schira, whose work is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art collection, digitally connects art and language in her elaborately patterned Jacquard cloths.

Special events include the opening reception for ARG members on Friday, Jan. 27, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Gallery and a gallery talk with Arai and Lee, in conjunction with FiberPhiladelphia 2012’s opening weekend, Saturday, March 3, at 10:30 a.m.

 “In Material” runs through March 25.

This exhibit is presented in conjunction with FiberPhiladelphia 2012, an international biennial for fiber and textile art, and in cooperation with Snyderman-Works Galleries.

The Arthur Ross Gallery is at 220 S. 34th St.  Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and weekends, noon-5 p.m.

Additional information is available at 215-898-2083 or www.upenn.edu/ARG.