ARTIST STATEMENT
Needle and thread are always in my hands; and using them I join the long history of women who have turned needlecraft into a vehicle for political expression and commentary on society. I work primarily in the needlecrafts of embroidery and cross-stitch. I like the balance that they can provide. They have a long history but also the ability to change to fit modern times. They take time and thought to create a tangible product rather than the quickness of writing a comment on social media. My work uses a symbol of domesticity and femininity to challenge those same notions. In this piece I wanted to show the price woman have to pay to have sex in that they risk forced birth and the loss of bodily autonomy.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Laura O’Connor is a Grayslake, IL based fiber artist who specializes in embroidered art. Her work covers a wide range from feminism to fashion. She likes the balance of custom and modernity that can be found in fiber arts. Fiber arts have a rich history of beauty but also subversion. Since 2020 she has used her unique embroidery designs to continue this tradition. Many of her embroideries are in the craftivism genre and are part of the following projects: Tiny Pricks Project, Interwoven Stories, I am Woman Project, and Badass HERstory.
© Laura O’Connor