colonial sampler (2022)
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This embroidery mimics an 19th century sampler. In the past, samplers were stitched by young women to display their feminine skills. This one, stitched by an unskilled hand, is an exploration of identity as a woman and as a descendant of colonisers. It reproduces a story my mother told me about her hometown of Orange, a story of moving generosity by local indigenous women. The sampler also replicates an 1880s land grant map, sourced from the archives of the State Library of NSW, together with two chickens (from the story) and native animals important to the Wirajuri, the traditional land owners, also reproduced with permission. The artwork explores personal and collective identity, particularly in the new era of truth telling.