Sally Hewett is a textile artist from Kent whose soft sculptures recreate body parts in all their glory, from breasts to bums and most everything in between. The works are fascinating in their intricacy and in their intimacy.
Sally explains her work: “My practice centres on bodies, ideas of beauty and ugliness and the conventions that determine which is seen as which. My medium is mainly stitching and embroidery. I like the discordance between the medium and the content.
“I am interested in how we see things, how we interpret what we see and how my way of representing bodies might affect how that which is represented is seen – is it seen as ugly, beautiful or just funny? Or none of those things?“
I find Sally’s work fascinating. She recreates elements of the body that are replete with insecurities, but by isolating them in hoops, they become tactile objects of desire. They are removed from the socio-political context that shapes our view of them, and we have a chance to consider them from an aesthetic perspective. I think they’re absorbing and they make me want to reach out and touch them.
Sally’s technique in these pieces is superb – the elegance of the pieces belies the technicality of their construction, and it’s clear that Sally is an adept crafter. She is fearless in her continued work exploring body parts of all shapes and sizes and it’s terrific to see how many people love her work.
Sally also pushes at the boundaries of space by creating her work in a range of formats, not limited to just hoops. From re-upholstered chairs to paper reliefs to samplers, she puts her own spin on them and makes marvellous mischief.
You can see more of Sally Hewett’s work on her website or join her for the ride at her Instagram.
