Mary Giles (1944-2018) received her BS in Art Education from Mankato State University in Minnesota. After receiving her degree, she began exploring various textile processes. She honed her fiber technique through workshops with fiber artists such as Fern Jacobs, Lissa Hunter, Diane Itter, Jane Sauer and John McQueen. Giles' beautiful contemporary sculptural forms are constructed using the traditional basketry technique of coiling, often combining waxed linen with metal embellishments of copper or iron. Her sources are diverse but central to her work, from her exploration of the property of various materials to the textures, light and shadow, and forms of the natural environment. The human figure is used both as a formal reference and as an element of commentary. Giles states about her work, "I interpret and express explored communication and intimacy in relationships. The results are reflected in my figural work. I admire the directness and honesty I see in tribal art and I try to incorporate those qualities in my own."