Eileen Hoffman
When We Were Princesses Grid 2, 2021-22
acrylic paint on dura-lar, pen on matte film, chenille stems 56.5"w x 49.5"h, Individual paintings are 9 x 12"
We can be bombarded with the fantasy of Princesses in childhood. "When We Were Princesses" is based on all the hours young girls can spend drawing princesses or women we thought we were supposed to be. The delicate ink drawings flirt with visibility by their placement on densely painted patterns.
Eileen Hoffman
The Stories Remain, 2019
Acrylic Paint on Dura-Lar, chenille stems 125" x 108" x 37"
As a young person, I sat amongst friends and family with textile projects in my hands. I became fascinated with the untold stories that get woven into the rich world of textiles, as I was embedding my stories in my work. “The Stories Remain” is an installation, composed of a variety of textile sculptures. The individual pieces contain stories and patterns and flirt with invisibility, as they bring stories into the foreground.
Eileen Hoffman
And Now We are Mommies, 2022
acrylic paint & pen on dura-lar, chenille stems 58"h x 175"w x 6"d
The piece "And Now We Are Mommies" is in response to the Roe v. Wade ruling from the Supreme Court in 2022. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and my mother both attended Columbia Law School and graduated ten years apart. They worked together at the Rutgers Law School, where Ruth Bader Ginsberg taught and my mother served as the assistant dean. I decided to use quotes from Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the works in this piece because of this personal connection.
Eileen Hoffman
And Now We Are Mommies-Diary Page 5, 2023
acrylic paint on dura-lar, pen on matte film, chenille stems 24" x 24" x 6"
The piece "And Now We Are Mommies" is in response to the Roe v. Wade ruling from the Supreme Court in 2022. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and my mother both attended Columbia Law School and graduated ten years apart. They worked together at the Rutgers Law School, where Ruth Bader Ginsberg taught and my mother served as the assistant dean. I decided to use quotes from Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the works in this piece because of this personal connection.
Eileen Hoffman
And Now We Are Mommies-Diary Page 4, 2023
acrylic paint on dura-lar, pen on matte film, chenille stems 24" x 24" x 6"
The piece "And Now We Are Mommies" is in response to the Roe v. Wade ruling from the Supreme Court in 2022. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and my mother both attended Columbia Law School and graduated ten years apart. They worked together at the Rutgers Law School, where Ruth Bader Ginsberg taught and my mother served as the assistant dean. I decided to use quotes from Ruth Bader Ginsburg for the works in this piece because of this personal connection.
Eileen Hoffman
Had Something to Say, 2018
Chenille stems, mixed media on Dura-Lar 48" x 40" x 6"
Eileen Hoffman
The Rapunzel Stories: KnockTheTowerDown, 2020
Mixed media on Dura-Lar, chenille stems 30"w 105"h 24"d
Rapunzel was a young girl fighting her way out of a castle that she knew was not the entirety of her world. This Brothers Grimm story beautifully illustrates the central premise of my work: to reflect on the struggles of women to be visible and seen as powerful and intelligent. The long hair of Rapunzel inspired me to create a long art object that goes as far up as it can go, past imagination.
Eileen Hoffman
The Rapunzel Stories: Knitting Her Blanket, 2021
Dura-Lar, Chenile Stems, Acrylic Paint 55"w 105"h 24"d
Rapunzel was a young girl fighting her way out of a castle that she knew was not the entirety of her world. This Brothers Grimm story beautifully illustrates the central premise of my work: to reflect on the struggles of women to be visible and seen as powerful and intelligent. The long hair of Rapunzel inspired me to create a long art object that goes as far up as it can go, past imagination.
Eileen Hoffman
The Rapunzel Stories: Looking Through the Window, 2021
Mixed media on Dura-Lar, chenille stems 50"w 105"h 24"d
Rapunzel was a young girl fighting her way out of a castle that she knew was not the entirety of her world. This Brothers Grimm story beautifully illustrates the central premise of my work: to reflect on the struggles of women to be visible and seen as powerful and intelligent. The long hair of Rapunzel inspired me to create a long art object that goes as far up as it can go, past imagination.
Eileen Hoffman
Demonstrator’s Bag: Written Stories, 2019
Mixed media on Dura-Lar, chenille stems 105 x 40 x 24"
The “Demonstrator’s Bags” originated from the clear backpacks protestors were asked to carry at the 2017 Women’s March on Washington. The clear bags struck me as a metaphor—a container for the hidden stories of women’s lives.
