A series of Patchwork Hangings Concerning Women and War

During lockdown 2020 I have been making a series of patchworks – 11 completed so far, 5 more in production. It has been an opportunity for me to assess the work I’ve done over the last twenty years as a documentary photographer concerned with the effects of war on women lives globally. I have edited photos from my archive and printed them onto pieces of linen that I have then sewn together to make a series of patchworks. These have then been backed onto different textiles, which I have sourced, from each country. Each patchwork is a visual statement of women challenging attempts to control their lives during and after conflict in a specific place, ranging from Afghanistan to South Sudan. The Refugee hanging is an exception as it draws material from a number of different countries. I have also duplicated some of the embroidered portraits to stand alone as a series of women affected by conflict.

The making has been a slow process, which has given me the opportunity to organise memories and contemplate my experiences from each country. I have also added embroidery to many of the portraits to honour the remarkable women I have met in the course of my work.

To accompany the hangings I will produce a series of zines which will contain the original images, captions to each, and a piece of writing about the relevant conflict

The size of the completed hangings varies between 76cms x 82 cms (Iraq – Saddam ) to 2 metres 07cms x 1 metre 90 cms (Rwanda ) .