The Masks We Wear
The masks we wear...what if the masks actually represented what we feel on the inside? Rather than what we use to hide our real feelings? This was originally titled ‘Through the eyes of a Child’ because it sums up a lot of feelings from my childhood. But the more I worked on it and as I tried to find a way to mount this, it became something else.
Right now we are living in a time where we are all wearing masks to protect ourselves from Covid-19- but those masks are seeming more and more, to be a way of hiding in plain sight.
Right now we are living in a time where we are all wearing masks to protect ourselves from Covid-19- but those masks are seeming more and more, to be a way of hiding in plain sight.
The Masks We Wear
The daisies, representing purity and innocent are stumpwork embroidery and form a daisy chain around the mask.
The Masks We Wear
Thousands of stitches onto voile and then moulded to a masquerade mask finally gave this form.
Small Beginnings
Having taken part in a workshop led by Emily Tull, I was keen to explore more embroidery. I worked from a photo of myself at the age of 5.
Flat Face...
I reached a point where I just wanted to carry on but also wanted to stop. I think I hit the right point.
Daisy Chain
I used stumpwork to create the daisies. I also wanted to have them be more of a part of the whole piece rather than just a few random flowers. The daisies are symbolic of purity and innocence and I wanted them to form a daisy chain, who hasn't made daisy chains as a child?
Lies
Lies. Secrets. Tell lies to keep secrets or keep secrets to tell lies? I want you to look at this and think what the words mean to you. Previously, to me they would have referenced the childhood habit of keeping secrets, whether to protect yourself or to keep up the image of the perfect childhood. But in light of recent personal events, I am starting to see it more as, someone telling lies to feed their own narrative. But it doesn't matter how deep you bury those secrets or lies, they eventually come to the surface.
Padlock
The zipper across the mouth and secured with a little gold padlock, symbolises secrets hidden away, buried deep under lock and key
Deadly
The Stumpwork flower is Deadly Nightshade which symbolises deception....