The apron; A simple, utilitarian, yet powerful garment with a weighted history. Being with us since 2500BC, it has accompanied women throughout most of their history; It has seen it all, it has been close to their bodies, hugging them tight around their waists. It has been there to protect them from dirt, or to present them in a certain way to the world. The apron has symbolized both oppression and empowerment over the years.
In a society where women still haven’t gained equality and still struggle with gender-related problems, I give aprons voices to speak of our contemporary female realities. What does it mean being a woman in present society? Based on a discussion night with women aging from twenty to fifty-years-old, I created this apron series of visual poetry, where each apron functions as a textile poem that answers a part of this question.
Textiles have historically and traditionally been a medium for women to express themselves by practicing their creativity, but have also been used to protest and fight for their rights, similarly to fashion. By using textiles in the form of aprons, I acknowledge this history and pay homage to it by proudly continuing it.
To read a bit more about the story and intention behind each apron and to see the experiments that led to the final results, you can take a look at the process book here.
