ALL US WOMEN - Janey Moffatt | 7 September - 26 October
Textiles are with us throughout our lives; holding, containing, and wrapping our bodies – fundamental to how we protect ourselves as we walk through this world. Clothing and other domestic textiles remind us of the vulnerability of the human; they are embedded with the narratives and very cells of the people who once wore and touched them.
About The Project
The exhibition is the culmination of a project spanning a year of engagement with women, some of whom have faced various challenges including surviving domestic violence, homelessness, addiction issues, traumatic childhoods, poor mental health. Together, they have reflected on the fact that when a group of us are suffering trauma, it affects the populace. The work is cathartic and a space for healing: sitting together, connecting through stories, gaining strength from the natural world, reclaiming inner strength, reframing narratives, and taking back power.
Its findings are recorded through making; textile sessions culminating in exhibitions. Techniques explored include natural dyeing with plant extracts and the sewing of protective amulets. Textile work made by women who have taken part in the project will be on display in venues in England and at Flowerfield Arts Centre. Women who do not identify as experiencing trauma take part in making sessions and contribute their work to the exhibitions in an act of witness and solidarity.
'We use everyday textiles, from napkins to christening robes, to explore healing after devastation; casting our minds over the things that support us, love us, and push us forward on our journey.'
The exhibition pieces feature delicate free machine embroidery that depicts gunmen alongside imagery of the Irish sun goddess Aine.
The Artist.
Janey Moffatt is a mixed-media artist who combines fabric, paper and stitch with drawing, painting, and mark-making. She was born in the Mary Rankin Maternity Hospital in Coleraine, Northern Ireland in 1975, growing up in the area during the Troubles. She explores violence, trauma, and healing in her textile practice. She uses motifs that echo the symbolism of her childhood: soldiers, guns and the piercing eyes of politicians feature alongside the delicate imagery of the nature that she was surrounded by and sought solace in. Her explorations of these topics have taken her overseas and presented the privilege of working in countries including Afghanistan, Mexico, Bosnia, Israel & Palestine. She will engage with local women and community groups during a short residency at Flowerfield 27 August - 5 September, including two free drop in sessions.
