“Luminous Threads”
Title:
- Luminous Threads
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
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Artist Statement:
I was commissioned to make this artwork for Curiocity Brisbane in 2022. My intention was to merge the traditional art of hand embroidery with modern fiber optic technology, reimagining the familiar into a large-scale display that marries artistry with technology. I aimed to reshape our perception of craft and the medium of light through the intersection of old and new.
Luminous Threads intertwines my nostalgia about embroidery—conjuring memories of the wall hangings at my grandmother’s house—with a futuristic twist, using illuminated fiber optic cable as my thread of choice. The art of hand embroidery is thousands of years old and is practiced worldwide. For me, it reminds me of school holidays spent making cross-stitch panels to gift family members. In this artwork, I have taken the traditional embroidery of my youth and intersected it with the electronic skills I learned through university. I hope the artwork speaks to the enduring nature of artistic practices and the possibilities of innovation.
As embroidery motifs, I depicted iconic Australian flowers. The embroidery of my youth typically depicted European-style floral designs but I departed from the familiar, choosing to depict Australian native flowers: banksia, gum blossom, bottlebrush, and wattle. The large-scale public artwork is a celebration of place, inviting viewers to experience the interconnectedness of culture and nature.
In essence, Luminous Threads fuses past and present, nostalgia and futurism, craft and technology. It invites audiences to reimagine the essence of embroidery and embraces the illuminating potential of innovation through the depiction of local flora.
