wound, 2024

Wound consists of sixty-one spools of thread that once belonged to my late mother. These threads intertwine with the tragic narratives of sixty seamstresses who had links to Piotrkow Trybunalski in Poland, the birthplace of my maternal grandmother. Moving to England as a child circa 1912, my grandmother left behind relatives, many of whom perished in the Holocaust. Among them was her cousin, listed as a housewife, who undoubtedly would have sewn in her domestic sphere.

Reflecting on my family’s lineage, I contemplate those who left Poland, and whose descendants inherited skills passed down through generations of women who were creative and adept with a needle and thread. Yet, juxtaposed against this legacy, I consider the plight of those trapped, symbolised by the tied pebbles – a weighty metaphor for the familial anxiety of being tethered to their homeland. But these pebbles are also a poignant symbol of remembrance. In Jewish tradition, placing stones on graves during visits serves as an enduring tribute to departed loved ones.

We must acknowledge the pernicious force of societal influence, which wound up the masses to such a degree that it inflicted a gaping wound upon my family and countless others. Blindly succumbing to collective hysteria, individuals forfeited their moral compass and humanity, perpetrating atrocities against their fellow beings.

I loved what you did to the spools of threads. And it has a deep meaning to me as our sorrows and memories shed a light on it, on the fact that there is no escape. If I use a thread, or sit on a sofa, or open a window, or eat, I think of those that will not do it again, and those that can’t do it, can’t see the skies, the clouds. Ora Kuller, Artist

Measurement: 94cm x 65cm x 12cm (dimensions variable)

Process: Hand stitch

Materials: Cotton, silk threads, 61 vintage cotton spools, pebbles from Israel

COMMENTS

  • Wow! Even more powerful with the incorporation of your mother’s threads

  • Wonderful work! Thanks for your consciousness and sensitivity

  • Each body of work is loaded emotionally and is a testament to an unbearable history

  • Exquisite, so tender, and also formally beautiful

  • A profound work

  • I love your ability to tell a hard story in an aesthetic form. That these mementos from your mother have been waiting patiently their turn to make their way into your work is very touching.

  • Powerful and beautiful, as are your words

  • This is so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I’m so glad that you get to share these stories with the world and honor the people who suffered and perished

  • Amazing and intricate as usual

  • Wonderful, both the artwork and the story behind it

  • Beautiful, and very poignant

  • The work is so powerful. It has stopped me in my tracks. I remember this time from the news reels in my youth. It is very important to remember, and to share those memories

  • Your work is so impactful

  • How absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful