MOTHERLAND

This collection of jewelry considers the implications of normative femininity. I am attempting to redefine what it means to hold power. Traditional crafts such as sewing, crocheting, and embroidery are historically deemed “women’s work.” The softness of textiles, and the repetitive motion of stitching are representations of emotional sensitivity and passivity. Both are considered weaknesses in a patriarchal society. My contemporary use of traditional women’s crafts helps illustrate the power I find in repetitive ritual labor like stitching. These wearable soft sculptures are made by wrapping and stitching layers of fabric scraps that have been passed down through three generations of strong women in my family. I want to reclaim soft feminine craft practices as powerful acts by demonstrating the resilience of women through repetitive mark making (stitching) and wrapping up-cycled fabric from my mother and grandmother around biomorphic shapes. There is power in restraint and in quiet labor.