works
2025 - 2017
The Weaver’s Arms at Projects Kavel Rafferty, Margate, Kent.
Photos & scans by Hannah Zbitnew (1, 7 - 11), Amy Hzu Tsu Chen (2-4) & Phill Barnes (5-6)
An ode to repetition, folk craft and the communal archive, pictorial weavings, costume outlines and threading drafts co-exist as renderings of Doukhobor textile techniques. Drawing from Zbitnew’s Doukhobor heritage, the work of once-known craftsmen and contemporary dress theory, her work serves as an acknowledgement to the intimate gestures of weaving and the effort of being a custodian to objects and their histories.
The Doukhobors share the Orthodox tradition of hanging their most intricate handwoven tea towel in pride of place; the main difference being the presence of a religious icon. The Doukhobors have no idols, and so the huckaback linens rest on the wall as a testament to skill, collectivity, and spirit. This work endeavours to do the same.