Untitled I, 2024. Embroidery on Fine Art Print Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350gsm, 20 X 30 cm.
Untitled II, 2024. Embroidery on Fine Art Print Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350gsm, 20 X 30 cm.
Untitled III, 2024. Embroidery on Fine Art Print Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350gsm, 20 X 30 cm.
Untitled IV, 2024. Embroidery on Fine Art Print Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350gsm, 20 X 30 cm.
"Time Speaking Through My Needle" explores my family's history, meticulously delving into our heritage with a particular focus on the often-overlooked stories of the women who have shaped our collective identity.
This work explores the reshaping of family narratives by combining archive images, embroidery, and collage. Focusing on women's lives during the communist and post-December periods, the project aims to give a voice to those traditionally confined to domestic roles. Themes such as complex conditions of womanhood, identity, and memory are examined to provide a deeper understanding of women's experiences and the role of creativity in navigating societal constraints.
The inspiration for this project came during a visit to my hometown, where I observed my mother and grandmother engaged in their embroidery work. This sight prompted a series of questions: Why do they do this? What does it mean to them? Is it a habit, a tradition passed down through generations, a symbol of resilience and creativity, a domestic activity, or merely a hobby? To find the answers, I needed to experience it myself.
This work explores the reshaping of family narratives by combining archive images, embroidery, and collage. Focusing on women's lives during the communist and post-December periods, the project aims to give a voice to those traditionally confined to domestic roles. Themes such as complex conditions of womanhood, identity, and memory are examined to provide a deeper understanding of women's experiences and the role of creativity in navigating societal constraints.
The inspiration for this project came during a visit to my hometown, where I observed my mother and grandmother engaged in their embroidery work. This sight prompted a series of questions: Why do they do this? What does it mean to them? Is it a habit, a tradition passed down through generations, a symbol of resilience and creativity, a domestic activity, or merely a hobby? To find the answers, I needed to experience it myself.
Untitled V, 2024. Embroidery on Fine Art Print Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350gsm, 30 X 40 cm.
Untitled VI, 2024. Embroidery on Fine Art Print Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350gsm, 30 X 40 cm.
Exhibition view, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest, 2024
Photo: Lacra Grozavescu
I began by researching the practice of embroidery, starting with feminist art theory and the representation of women in art, to understand the importance of reclaiming and amplifying women's voices through artistic reinterpretation.
Needing something more tangible for my research, I asked family members to let me consult old photo albums. These albums, filled mostly with portraits, serve as repositories of precious memories and hide untold stories, especially of the women who might have been marginalized in the family narrative. These omissions often stem from cultural or social assumptions about gender roles and the broader trend of women's histories being less documented and valued.
Needing something more tangible for my research, I asked family members to let me consult old photo albums. These albums, filled mostly with portraits, serve as repositories of precious memories and hide untold stories, especially of the women who might have been marginalized in the family narrative. These omissions often stem from cultural or social assumptions about gender roles and the broader trend of women's histories being less documented and valued.
Exhibition view, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest, 2024 Photo: Jean Palat
The Sun, 2024. Embroidery object
Exhibition view, Anca Poterasu Gallery, Bucharest, 2024
Photo: Lacra Grozavescu
Learning the embroidery techniques passed down through generations was the next pivotal step. For weeks, I dedicated myself to mastering this art, guided by the rich traditions of my maternal lineage. This hands-on experience allowed me to engage with the photographs from a fresh perspective, transforming them through the medium of embroidery.
Through this work, I wanted to celebrate the overlooked, the hidden, and the unspoken, to know my past and what it had meant to be a woman in my family. My motivation was to move closer to my mother and her generation, to experience physically and mentally those hours of creativity, strength, and solitude.
Time speaking through my needle, 2024.
Artist book, mixed media, 17 X 25 cm.
Artist book, mixed media, 17 X 25 cm.