ARTIST STATEMENT
Vaginal tears are a common occurrence during childbirth and have four levels of severity. The level is determined by how deep and long a tear is, with fourth degree tears being the most severe. For this embroidery I wanted to highlight this trauma but in an abstract way so I chose to create a porcelain plate that had been repaired with kintsugi to represent the genitalia that had been torn and repaired.
I often like to explore scars, both physical and emotional. In my exploration to become more accepting of my physical scars I came across the Japanese practice of kintsugi (repairing broken pottery with gold to highlight the piece’s history, rather than hide it). This practice helped me see my scars as history rather than hideous. I have created several embroidery pieces to honor this practice.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Laura O’Connor of Blue Bottom Art is an Illinois based fiber artist who specializes in embroidered art. Her work uses a symbol of domesticity and femininity to challenge those same notions. She likes the balance of custom and modernity that can be found in fiber arts and the long history of women who have turned needlecraft into a vehicle for political expression and commentary on society. 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. She is also an affiliate artist of the Blue Moon Gallery in Grayslake, Illinois.
© Laura O’Connor