Welcome to this year’s Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse interview series, running alongside our gallery exhibition for the next two months. We asked the eighty (yes, eighty) artists participating in the sixth-annual edition of our textile exhibition, We Got the Power, to reflect on the themes present in our main source material (Aristophanes' Lysistrata), as well as their own relationships with the medium.
Our first Q&A roundup features CAMP artists Deborah Simon and Leslie Sheryll, both of whom are joined by Lauren Reilly and Ola Rondiak.
We'll be publishing every wednesday and saturday until the exhibition ends on december 20, 2024. stay tuned to see who's next, and don't forget to share to instagram using #wpattosd
Ola Rondiak. War Destroys 3, 2024. Fabric collage. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
Why is fiber your medium of choice?
Ola Rondiak: I love the feel and smell of fabrics. I’ve always loved fashion and I first began working with fabrics in designing clothes for myself and my children. I now work with many different materials but continue to incorporate fabrics in my work, including collages and sculptures.
Deborah Simon: I like the flexibility of fiber. I pick my materials by the suitability to what I want to make.
Lauren Reilly: My medium of choice is found-object assemblage. I am captivated by the stories carried by found-objects, and the narratives the assemblages create in the reconstruction of these materials, so for this project, I worked with feminine fabrics and intimate materials provided by the women in my life. I’m attracted to the tactile nature of fiber, particularly intrigued by its feminine history and the broader, gendered history of craft. Working with textiles encourages me to reflect on gender identity, while connecting with the tradition and holding gratitude for the community of women who practiced before me.
Leslie Sheryll: I work with several mediums: photography, digital collage, and fiber. They all interest me.
What was your introduction to fiber art?
DS: All of the women on both sides of my family sewed, knitted and embroidered. I’ve been embroidering since I was about 6.
LR: As a kid, I would lay in bed with my mom while she embroidered colorful scenes of plants and animals. These moments are my first memories of fiber—fond memories that connect me to my feminine creativity.
OR: After designing clothes I branched out into fabric collages. Years later I realized the subconscious connection to my grandmother’s embroideries, especially since I was living in Ukraine.
LS: I was introduced to fiber at the Kansas City Art Institute. I instantly loved it. I learned to spin, dye and weave.
Working with textiles encourages me to reflect on gender identity, while connecting with the tradition and holding gratitude for the community of women who practiced before me.
Lauren Reilly
Who inspires you?
OR: I am greatly inspired by my grandmother whom I never met. She was sent to a female labor camp during [World War II] and while there she secretly embroidered icons using fish bones for needles, threads from clothing, and potato sacks for canvas.
LS: Sheila Hicks and Lenore Tawney were pioneers; I love how Fred Sandback divides and creates space with just a few strands of cord. Faith Ringgold’s stories on quilts [too].
LR: I'm inspired by the women in my life—from my family and friends to the broader community. I am particularly inspired by those who engage in collaborative advocacy, using their voices to call for social and environmental change. The commitment to compassion and repair motivates me to keep on creating and advocating.
DS: My grandmother was an amazing needlewoman. Most of the women in my family sewed and knitted clothes or quilted. She was the one who created images. When I was about 8, she gave me a Pennsylvania Dutch crewel embroidery kit that was way above my skill level. It took me months to finish and looked terrible, but it made a deep impression. She passed away when I was 16 and not a day goes by that I don’t wish she could see my needlework. She’d hate the subject of my artwork but she’d appreciate the embroidery. I’d love to be able to share it with her.
Deborah Simon. Athene noctua, 2024. Silk, embroidery floss. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
What was your reaction to this year’s call for submissions?
LR: I draw inspiration from the women in my life, from my family and friends to the broader community of women. I am particularly inspired by those who engage in collaborative advocacy, using their voices to call for social and environmental change. The commitment to compassion and repair motivates me to keep on creating and advocating.
DS: My first reaction was to say no. I love the play, but Greek political comedies are not my usual source of inspiration. Also, two months is a ridiculously short amount of time for me to make anything, especially as I tend to make everything more and more complex. That said, I liked the idea of trying to work quickly and with luck, more freely. The process of making this piece and the recent digital painting I had UV printed are leading to some exciting ideas to combine my digital painting and embroidery work.
LS: I loved it. Especially today when women's rights are being taken away. Women had few resources throughout history. They did not have power, wealth or legal rights but women have always been able to use whatever resources they did have available to survive. In the case of [Lysistrata] women used their own bodies to fight back.
OR: It caught my eye because I love creating fabric collages and the theme of war, along with the strength of women, aligns strongly with where I currently am on my journey as an artist.
War destroys but art preserves. We as humans have a responsibility to continuously create, connect, and strengthen each other as an antidote to violence and evil.Ola Rondiak
Tell us about your piece for We Got the Power, and what it means to you.
LR: My pieces reflect my personal journey through the complexities of womanhood. Silky Embrace explores the power, compassion, and sensual intelligence of women. The soft, delicate fabrics symbolize the nurturing spirit I’ve witnessed, while masculine wire figures highlight the rigidity of a society that often overlooks emotional care. This piece embodies my belief that women play a vital role in fostering empathy and holistic solutions, especially in times of conflict.
Stitched Together honors the strength and connection shared among women across generations. Crafted from intimate garments provided by friends, mothers, and daughters, it reflects the wisdom and emotional bonds I cherish. My relationship with femininity has been shaped by being raised by a single dad and dealing with the loss of my mother. This experience has influenced my understanding of womanhood, often informed by societal norms I grappled with during my youth. The integrated mirrors in this piece invite self-recognition, allowing me to place myself within the continuum of female connection. Ultimately, both artworks celebrate the transformative power of women’s relationships and the importance of embracing every phase of life.
OR: My triptych is titled War Destroys. It’s a fabric collage on top of a fabric print of one of my recent pieces which was made in my studio in Kyiv, Ukraine during wartime. The layers represent generations of pain and the determination to continuously heal and strengthen.
LS: When creating We Abstain!!, I immediately thought of ancient Greek vessels and how they were used to tell stories. This was my starting point for creating a narrative about the play. To make my piece, I used the art of cross-stitch. Historically, a woman’s worth was tied to her stitching ability. Much of my work incorporates symbolism and humor. Here, I use the ancient Greek symbols for male and female as part of the characters' bodies. The male symbol can be interpreted as an erection, which “points” to the theme of the play: how men will give up anything for sex. A woman pouring water is a metaphor for femininity, wisdom power, and transformation. The olive branches symbolize peace. My piece is divided in half. The male side is static while the female side flows. The center flaming arrow tries but fails to break the locked heart representing human passion.
DS: When I reread the play, I was struck by how much of a presence Athena has even though she is hardly mentioned. When I came to the part where the women are looking for excuses to leave the Acropolis, they mention that the owls and serpents frightened them. Once I focused on Athena and the animals who represent her, I felt I had a way to look at how women are represented and how that reflects back in our attitude towards the animals. I wanted to focus on the owl and was delighted to find out that Athena’s owl was actually a specific species, Athene nocturna, and is generally accurately depicted in Greek art. Even better, the owl is small and has a 22” wingspan so the piece is more or less to scale. I want the owl and snakes to embody the power and intensity of Athena. Like all the Greek gods, she is approached with care. You are never sure what your reception will be and like all Olympians, she is capricious and has a mean streak.
Leslie Sheryll. We Abstain!!, 2024. Photo transfer, Aida cross-stitch fabric, cotton thread, cotton fabric, Swarovski crystals, plastic liner, paper, glue. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
What does your piece respond to, both in the context of the play and in society?
OR: War destroys but art preserves. We as humans have a responsibility to continuously create, connect, and strengthen each other as an antidote to violence and evil.
LS: I hope my piece portrays the never-ending power of women.
LR: I focused on concepts surrounding conflict, resolution, and feminine identity, highlighting empathy, repair, and the importance of all female voices. Silky Embrace uses visible mending to highlight women’s capacity to resolve conflicts and build connections, nodding to the overarching narrative of Lysistrata. Stitched Together responds to the valuable contributions made by women of all ages and calls on the wisdom of the Chorus of Old Women. The piece incorporates intimate garments from my community, honoring generational perspectives.
DS: Athena is represented by both owls and snakes – animals that each have strong and opposite connotations of wisdom and bad omen. The associations define both what it is to be a woman and then rebound on what those animals mean and how we value them as a society. I think Athena appeals to me because she is not very feminine. She is not the representation of mercy and love that the Virgin Mary is or the epitome of beauty and femininity like Aphrodite. As a child, she struck me as a tomboy; as tough as the boys with no weakness. I feel there was a window of time in the 70s when girls were not dominated by pink and exaggerated femininity, that is now gone. The world women now grow up in has moved away from Athena towards Aphrodite. Away from active women, holding sword and shield to an odalisque on a half shell.
Ultimately there is no going back… over the long run, parity can be achieved and women’s ability to effect change will equal men’s.Deborah Simon
How do you hope viewers will respond to your piece?
DS: Positively
LS: I hope the humor comes across.
OR: I hope that this triptych conveys the message that war, evil, and violence inevitably lead to an empty existence. I hope it serves as a reminder of our humanity and that we must continuously work in order to prevent deterioration.
LR: In these pieces, I hope to convey the strength found in softness, transparency, and resolution. I want viewers to reflect on the importance of repair—both personal and collective—and to recognize the power in resolve and perseverance. My hope is that those who engage with my work will see themselves mirrored in it, understanding their role within a broader community and their connection to the shared history and future that we all contribute to. By creating these connections, I invite the audience to consider how their individual stories and actions are intertwined with the larger narrative of collective growth, healing, and transformation. Ultimately, I seek to inspire a deeper awareness of our shared responsibilities and the potential we hold to create a more compassionate world.
Lauren Reilly. Stitched Together: Centering the Female Perspective, 2024. Cotton, polyester, lace, linen, silk, felt, cotton thread, acrylic mirror, acrylic pearls, acrylic paint. 12 x 24 inches. Available via Artsy.
Do you believe that women do have the power to effect change? How?
OR: I know that women have the power to effect change. We’ve witnessed it in women for centuries and I’ve seen it firsthand in my own family. The resilience and strength of women have been a strong subject in my work since I began creating art
LR: Yes, women absolutely have the power to effect change! Women are collective healers. Patient, open, and emotionally-attuned, we hold space for others to heal and grow. We have an unparalleled ability to be soft and vulnerable, critical qualities for building interpersonal connections. I believe that the feminine inclination toward compassion and resolution allows us to reshape society. In my art, I explore the idea that every woman has something valuable to contribute, and that our collective strength lies in recognizing and honoring those contributions. Change happens when women connect, support, and uplift each other, and it’s these acts of connection, care, and collective action that empower social and environmental change.
DS: I do believe it, although at the moment it is more of a struggle. Over the course of history, women have moved from being property, ruled by the men in their lives to almost having equal rights and autonomy. Over the course of 3,000 years the women’s rights have moved forward as women demand, fight for and take their equality. Over this course of history, the pendulum swings back and forth and at the moment I feel we are heading towards a conservative retrenchment and erosion of rights. I also believe, ultimately there is no going back and that over the long run parity can be achieved and women’s ability to effect change will equal men’s.
LS: Of course. Women are there for each other, we create sisterhoods. Physical harm is not our first instinct. We are more intellectual, we reason, we are logical. WE ARE WOMEN!
