The Patchwork Object showcases collaboration as a way of making. The project began with a call for contributions that asked participants to send a patch measuring 10x10 cm, with a 1 cm border, and an accompanying story that reflected on women's creative identities. Prompts for the call included questions such as: is there a creative woman who has particularly inspired you? Do you have stories about female friends and family members? Is the craft that your mother/grandmother taught you art? Are you a creative woman who has a story to tell about your own experience?
The patches that contributors then sent to us were transformed into a new artwork, titled Women's Work (2024), by artist Ruth Broadway. Once the patch left the contributors' hands, they relinquished control of it, with no way of knowing what would happen to it in the finished work and no way of editing, changing, or revising their work once it was sent. The process of making this collaborative work involved risk, trust, and a willingness to surrender artistic individuality and singular vision to the collective.
Here, you can enjoy viewing the artwork and individual patches and stories that were submitted to us.
Patches
Explore the individual patches that make up Women's Work. View the patches before they become part of the collaborative piece and learn more about how over 100 contributors were inspired by the theme of 'women's creative identities' to tell stories through fabric.
Locations
Explore where our patches have travelled from and navigate the archive through our geographical map of contributions.