Threads of War
With my project ‘Threads of War’ I have taken images that I originally produced within conflictive areas whilst working as a reportage photographer and worked on them to draw attention to the subjects, and to honour them. By printing the photos onto material and then adding embroidery I want the images to become ‘domesticated’, more approachable and more beautiful but to still convey a message.The much slower process inevitably invites contemplation and immersion.
I started this work out of necessity, unable to travel during the pandemic, but have continued it as many of the areas where I have worked in the past – notably Afghanistan, Sudan and Gaza, have become impossible or too difficult, expensive and dangerous to visit. I want to use this work to make an intervention, to draw attention to current conflicts and make a bridge between the actual theatre of war and the human lives affected by it.
Afghanistan
When the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in 2002 I was horrified by how quickly women lost their rights and freedoms. Women doctors, teachers, politicians, students whom I had met, spent time with, travelled with, were all suddenly confined to their homes unable to work, study or move freely. In response to my anguish and their terrible situation I made a series of portraits where I embroidered over their faces to signify what they had lost. Each image is dedicated to a group of women.
Sudan
Sudan was one of the first countries where I travelled by myself. I made a children’s book in a village in Darfur (1985) and then made many return trips working for non governmental agencies, including Save the Children and Oxfam. I have used photos from those trips to create the series ‘Torn Apart by War’ to reflect the current situation where the country is literally ravaged by economic and political struggle. It is a severely brutal war with millions displaced, thousands killed, and widespread sexual violence. By physically ripping photos I want to echo the ruptures in people’s lives.
Gaza
I have worked in Gaza half a dozen times – during the First Intifada (1988), during the 1990s, and during the 2009 violence. Watching the present war on television has been traumatic – knowing the warmth of Palestinian hospitality, the creativity of children , the bravery of local journalists. The series of embroideries I have made are my personal expression of helplessness in the face of politics.
Find out more:
Website: jennymatthews.photoshelter.com
Instagram: @jennymphoto