Through the medium of embroidery, a form of labor historically assigned to women, I explore the weight of societal expectations placed upon mothers. This traditionally gentle craft becomes a vehicle for words that scrutinize, question, and diminish, subverting the soft fabric into a platform for critical social commentary. The juxtaposition of floral softness with biting judgments reflects the complexities of motherhood under scrutiny, where nurturing acts are simultaneously met with unrealistic, often contradictory standards.
In Good Mother, the handkerchief—symbolizing care and nurturing—holds words that challenge its very meaning, inviting viewers to question the deeply ingrained, often invisible expectations mothers are told to embody. Through these embroidered “disses,” I aim to reveal the societal pressures mothers face and spark a conversation about the unspoken labor of motherhood in the face of continual judgment.
Each handkerchief, delicate and ornamental, carries sharp-edged remarks that society imposes upon mothers, creating a contrast between the tender floral patterns and the pointed critiques woven into them.