New Women’s Work: Reimagining Feminine Craft in Contemporary Art

Curator Vizcarrondo-Laboy (Funk You Too!) provides a comprehensive survey of 38 artists who are reconceptualizing craft practices often trivialized as “women’s work.” Among those featured are Qualeasha Wood, a Philadelphia weaver who translates selfies and internet-sourced images into tapestries; Maria E. Piñeres, who needlepoints portraits in “a refracting configuration of stitches”; and Melania Toma, who builds “soft sculptures” from discarded carpets and rugs. Bridging the gap between traditional craft practices and modern art, Liz Whalen harnesses motifs from her drapemaker grandmother’s designs in feltworks that feature electric colors, wild patterns, and beading, while Anina Major draws inspiration from Bahamaian straw weaving traditions for “woven” clay sculptures and vessels that negotiate the “push and pull between permanence and fragility.” Spotlighting a geographically and stylistically diverse range of artists, Vizcarrondo-Laboy gives due to the rich history of “women’s work” and the artists who are subverting its gendered expectations to question the art world’s patriarchal standards and tell new personal and political stories. It’s a welcome reassessment. Photos. (Oct.)