Reflections

A glimpse inside ourselves

In my series, Reflections, I explore the pain of loss and regret, after I became ill and had to adjust my life dramatically. In this work I responded to processes of trauma and grief, how to make sense of it all, and to get to a point of acceptance. I investigate the events that brought me to this point in my life by looking at it from different angles, and – as in a water reflection – I keep getting different answers. Do I see the loss as a regret for what I can’t do anymore, or as a catalyst for growth.

I was influenced to take this route by my previous travels to France and studying several types of embroidery techniques, their meaning and history, and then creating my own language through stitching. A work that had a major impact on my thinking was the 1500-year-old Lady and the Unicorn tapestry in the Cluny Museum in Paris. I was especially interested in the showcasing of various types of stitching, and it astounded me that just by choosing the weight, type, and colour of thread, it can evoke a strong emotion. Another trip up Normandy took me to the 11th century Bayeux tapestry, which colourfully details the Battle of Hastings in a 70-metre-long tapestry. Without saying a word, they have given detailed account of an entire chapter in the history of England and France. The fact that every scene had images as footnotes to elaborate on the story was fascinating to me, and I realised that I could tell the same stories in my art.

In this world of instant gratification, we live in, where our attention is trapped in the excess of mind-numbing social-media feeds, fake news and angst, handwork provides a stark contrast for me. It is quiet, grounding, tangible, mixed with precision, superstition, meticulous details, and structure, creating harmony and order. There are no shortcuts, and it takes as long as it takes to complete. Embroidery forces me to slow down and think about each mark. It changed the way I look at things as I constantly try to weave a connection between my old and new life, and stitch by stich work through the trauma of my loss, while exploring the different realities in these reflections as well as my ideas about dealing with it.

I have used between 8 – 45 metres of thread per artwork and some works have over 6500 pricks. I had to master over thirty different stitch techniques to complete this series. One of my favourite types of embroidery is called ‘blackwork’. This medieval counted-thread technique achieves a traditional look, while creating an intricate grid through geometric patterns. It is also significant that you start with one thread and work up to six threads together, symbolising the baggage we gather over the years.

This series consists of 21 pieces, in a very limited edition of 5 each (each still hand embroidered and unique), made to order in one of three sizes.

Click on the image below to read about my “Reflections” series.