H U S H

Quilts are a source of sisterhood and solidarity, and are often constructed in response to traumatic events. Through Hush, I am able to confront the ways in which personal trauma has affected my mind and body. Engaging with my past has allowed me to recognize the universal experience of sexual violence and oppression towards women. Although Hush is a documentation of self, it speaks to anyone who identifies with the inherent violence within the feminine experience. 

The act of sewing and craft is a predominantly female activity. In the late 18th century all women sewed; it was universally shared and was done as a collective. Historically, oppressed women turned sewing quilts into subversive activism. During the suffrage movement, women would gather at quilting bees to discreetly partake in protest and engage in political commentary. Using geometric patterns such as Texas Tears and Radical Rose, women were able to inconspicuously process traumatic historical and political events. Motivated by this activism, I constructed a quilt using intimate, yet fragmented photographs of my body. 

My practice is process oriented, employing Polaroid emulsion transfers methods and sewing. The emulsion transfer creates a surface similar to skin and is intended as a metaphor for my body. The manipulation of the Polaroid emulsion allows me to mimic my perception of self after sexual assault. By constructing a quilt made up of self portraits, I am sewing myself back together in an effort to reconcile my trauma.