Jazmín Berakha Rescues Needlepoint From Granny’s Grip [Slideshow]

For some of us, needlepoint and embroidery have long been associated with musty, outdated throw pillows, despite Jonathan Adler's best efforts to make them retro chic. So we were pleasantly surprised to come across the work of Jazmín Berakha, a Buenos Aires?based artist who has adopted the tradition to depict figures and tableaus that feel utterly of the moment.

The multitalented Berakha makes a living designing everything from websites to album covers, but it's her meticulously embroidered pieces that feel truly intimate and reveal her lovely sensibility. Most of her work portrays young women, often kneeling, with bowed heads, caught in a moment of introspection. Other imagery includes a figure being held aloft by birds, synchronized swimmers, and colorful abstractions.

Check out Berakha's work at Heskin Contemporary, in New York, until July 2.