Heather Ritchie
Little Mother, 2022
Soapstone, fiber 6"×8"
My work combines stonecarving and fiber. Traditionally a masculine and hard material, stone is my primary medium. Historically feminine and soft, the fiber is recycled domestic fabric. In this case it is a potholder. I am interested in the paradox in societal roles and the flipping of expectations of the materials themselves.
Heather Ritchie
Shirtdress, 2018
Cotton shirtdress, string 12"x12"
Shredded, braided and stitched shirtdress
Heather Ritchie
Ball and chain, 2021
Marble, cotton, recycled bedsheets 18"×12"
My work combines stonecarving and fiber. Traditionally a masculine and hard material, stone is my primary medium. Historically feminine and soft, the fiber is recycled domestic fabric. I am interested in the paradox in societal roles and the flipping of expectations of the materials themselves.
Heather Ritchie
Regal Growth, 2022
velvet, lace, string, domestic recyclables 16"x#3"
Fibers of women's work and luxury are combined with recycled armature. The paradox of feminine materials and phallic form boasts strength in softness. The fungi family is at the root of transformation in our environment. As women and artists, we are at the root of it in society. Our commonalities are many. Consistently adapting, changing, growing, failing, dying yet reinventing ourselves. Bucking structures because the underground system is so vast. Rising up, delicately adorned, usually in the shadows of night. Pulling on the strings of our past, standing tall wrapped in tiers of lace, hooded in a veil of crushed comfort to attain our Regal Growth.
