Fiona Crawford 

Following residencies in Assisi, Italy in 2016 and 2019, inspired by the beauty and intrigue surrounding the medieval embroidery tradition of ‘Punto Assisi’ still practised today, I started a body of work comprising contemporary textiles subvert and transgress conventions and reinterpret the ubiquity of women’s art. 

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What is unique in Punto Assisi embroidery is the subject matter is empty of detail. This absence echoes the absence of information about the makers. Invisible and indispensable, seen and unseen, women and their work have provided the fabric of human society throughout history, yet the names and faces of female artists and artisans are rarely documented. 

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Using vintage linen and thread, the combination of traditional and contemporary imagery, text, and the concept of drawing with thread to manifest content, I explore description through absence, and honours the unknown makers of this art.