ARTIST STATEMENT
My feminist, political art is unapologetically loud. I utilize a variety of feminine-coded materials (vintage table linens, deconstructed clothing, sewing notions) and techniques (hand embroidery, machine sewing, appliqué) in distinctly “unladylike” ways, stitching “fuck fascism” onto old table runners and carrying embroidered signs at protest marches.
For this show, I’ve applied political messaging to my soft sculpture, creating a fuzzy activist who critiques the status quo and discomforts misogynists. “#107 aka PRESS PIGGY” reconceives the iconic bulletproof vest that identifies members of the press in wartime as a method for denigrating women reporters. This colorful feminist provides me with a sense of agency in the face of increasing authoritarianism and speaks my messages even when I cannot.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Whitney Dirks (she/they) is a disabled, queer textile artist living in small-town Minnesota. Whitney has been working with upcycled fiber (embroidery, hand and machine sewing, appliqué) since 2020, and her first solo exhibition, “Women’s Work”, was on show at the Arts Center of Saint Peter (MN) at the end of 2025. Her soft sculpture “Серенити (Serenity)” won a Juror’s Choice award at the Carnegie Art Center (Mankato, MN), and her art plushies have been installed in local businesses and exhibited as far afield as Armenia. She teaches embroidery, mending, and sewing workshops through local arts organizations.
© Whitney Dirks