Folds

Folds presents a new body of work influenced by Gilles Deleuze’s theory of the fold and the Baroque, in dialogue with my ongoing investigation of kawaii culture.

Combining Canadian smocking with embroidery, crochet, sewing, drawing and printmaking, my interdisciplinary approach echoes the multiplicity of folds, relishing in the excess and drama of kawaii and baroque aesthetics. In the realm of the kawaii, cuteness prescribes a certain femininity which can be simultaneously suffocating and empowering. Folds embody this kind of ambivalence, where depth and surface, interior and exterior converge. To fold is to come together – women gather in the in-between spaces to share knowledge and build kinship.

Throughout history and even in the contemporary art world, fibre arts and kawaii culture tend to be dismissed as insignificant and ornamental, lacking substance and intellect. Deliberately employing a labour-intensive practice, I engage the fold as a metaphor of agency which celebrates “women’s work” and the rich textures of life. Folds not only materialise in fabric and skin, but also manifest in time and the psyche. Hidden between the folds is the mystery of eros and of artmaking itself.