New Women’s Work is a celebration of women’s work. Often underappreciated and undervalued, craft has long been an expression of artistic endeavour for women. Often, it’s a skill transferred for generations, or it may be a livelihood or a way of connecting with an ancestral homeland. But crafts with feminized histories, such as weaving, knotmaking, needlework, quilting, ceramics, and basketry, have historically lacked serious consideration from the art world.
New Women’s Work serves to challenge this by featuring 38 contemporary artists who identify as women or nonbinary, working to reposition women’s work techniques. These artists are carrying cultural legacies into the future, preserving history and languages at risk of being forgotten while sharing their stories. They’re also redefining narratives and creating meaning within their mediums.
Canberra-based artist, Sally Blake works in basketry with wire sculptures. ‘In my practice, I’m always thinking about the interconnection between humans and the natural world… I worry about the environmental crisis and what humans are doing to the natural world. Our relationship with nature is so precious and we’re messing everything up.’ Like many of the artists, she uses craft to engage in personal and political storytelling.
For more information see the press release here
Please contact Karen Reid if you’d like to explore any extracts. There are also have some copies of the book available for giveaways and Angelik is available for interview.
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