Ella Pengelly

I have created works inspired by craft, which recognise the complicated relationship between art, kitsch and decorative artifacts, my work seeks to confront these boundaries. For my personal project I have created two characters Dave and Terry who feature in quite a lot of my work. Their views and personalities are aggressive and often offensive, they directly confront the absurdity of misogynist views, I increasingly see and experience as a young woman. I am interested in both the creative opportunities textiles offers, but also how textiles and craft are tangible expressions of female labour. This connection I have with the medium has empowered me and generations of women in my family, who have understood the value of craft and its rich history. I have focused particularly on quilting motifs, to create these tactile yet familiar domestic objects, combining both the delicacy of the intricate work with surprisingly confrontational statements. The work stitches these conflicting aggressive worlds of Terry and Dave’s, with the decorative environment of doilies and quilts to confront and maybe redefine what it means to be feminine....