ARTIST STATEMENT
For many, familial love is the first form of intimacy they experience, with it being unconditional from the day of birth. ‘My Mother and Her Mother' explores the intergenerational relationship between me, my mother, and my grandmother to show how qualities associated with femininity create intimacy. My work invites viewers to experience a physical and emotional closeness to the artwork, using delicate details to draw viewers in, and the exposure of personal family items to express an emotional vulnerability and openness. Through these preserved memories I wanted to highlight the desperate need to hold onto a fragile relationship.
ARTWORK PROCESS
I found many different objects from mine my mother's and grandmother's lives that had an aged and fragile appeal. This included many trinkets, letters and envelopes. I sewed a lot of the pockets seen in the artwork out of a linon material, stained them with tea and stitched onto them. This was either hand stitching and embroidery, machine stitching to add ribbon and lace, or removing the feed dog and stitching freehand designs. The pockets were assembled in a way that is balanced and the items I found were integrated throughout the work.
