Title: “I am not in control”
Year: 2022
Medium: Recycled cotton yarn, multi-color raffia yarn
Dimensions: 38.2” x 88” x 6”
Additional details: This body of work explores the identity and femininity of a woman. Her gracious slender body particularly the waist, in all its glory accentuating movement and beauty. In a world where society generally characterize slender bodies as healthy and more attractive, it is inarguable to note that the waist is the yardstick for comparison. Employing recycled cotton subjected to plain weave pattern, I illustrate the tension related to a woman’s work. The never-ending cycle of movement, pain, sore and dictatorship to meet society’s expectations of a woman’s body type. As I weave each step, carefully passing each yarn over the colored delicate warp I appreciate the tenuous nature of both materials just like the impermanence of a female body. Each unintentional twist created by the weft synchronizes my waist movements of unpacking and repacking, picking yarns from the floor, dropping needles, and taking breaks in between weaving sessions. Utilizing and rubbing these delicate materials together from Ghana, Turkey and USA serves as a constant reminder of my life as an immigrant as impermanent.
