As a thought-provoking statement to challenge the commonly held notion that “women’s work” is light and easy, London-based artist Eliza Bennett stitched her skin to represent a well-worn hand.
Titled ‘A Woman’s Work is Never Done’, she wishes to use her work to draw attention to the effects of the physical toil of low-paying jobs such as cleaning and caring, usually stereotyped to be ‘women’s work’. Using the top layer of her skin as canvas, she sews threads through her hands, making their appearance seem battered by manual labor.
She wrote, “The technique, I recall first applying to my hand under a table during a home economics class in school. I was totally amazed to find that I could pass a needle under the top layers of skin without any pain, only a mild discomfort.
Bennett also added, “Some viewers consider the piece to be a feminist protest, for me it's about human value. After all, there are many men employed in caring, catering, cleaning etc... all jobs traditionally considered to be ‘women's work’. Such work is invisible in the larger society, with ‘A Woman's Work’ I aim to represent it.”
Check out the photos below.
[via Empty Kingdom, images via Eliza Bennett]