Hand Made Politics

<p dir="ltr">In the works of the Handmade Politics exhibition, politics is inextricably woven into the making and expression of hands, whether it is knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, hanging laundry or leatherwork. Politics is tangible, tactile – it does not shout or riot except in its materiality. The colorful colors and diverse textures invite you to participate: to reflect on burning questions about immigration policy, sexual equality, the autonomy of art, and the history and future of feminism. In the works, politics is worked on, emerges, stitch by stitch, loop by loop, and in the rainbow of laundry hung side by side. Stretched loops, false stitches and squirming surfaces proclaim the politics of feeling and making. Susana Nevado, Memories of My Mother, 2012–2015.</p><p dir="ltr">Margaret Mayhew’s Prayer Blankets are related to her voluntary work in Australian refugee centres. Asylum seekers struggling with the twists and turns of the law and conditions condemned by the UN asked her to pray for them because they had no faith in anything else.</p><p dir="ltr">Mayhew implemented her prayers in a versatile form: Western crochet patterns have been bent to say ‘freedom’ in Tamil, Persian and Arabic, and they have been carried at several protests in Melbourne, but have also warmed up meditation sessions.</p><p dir="ltr">Kate Just’s knitted ‘paintings’ are based on images of feminist artists culled from the internet. The works on display loop from Pussy Riot in Russia to Femen in Ukraine and on to Australia, where Casey Jenkins is demonstrating for Pussy Riot. They are the first works in a series of works that honor the work of feminist artists. The series' movements and creations can be followed via the #feministfan tag.</p>