Willow Stacey is a Kent based textile artist. Initially studying Fine Art, specialising in the female form sculpturally, she went on to explore textiles and hand embroidery highlighting sexism in everyday life. Focusing on the comments men say to women, that are often shrugged off as “having a laugh” or an “awful chat up line”. What started as a personal project; immortalising the comments Willow received whilst working, seething inside but staying professional evolved into an act of solidarity. It has given other women a voice, women in all walks of life who go through the same pain on a daily basis. 

Willow titles each piece to give the viewer an insight into where or how the phrase was said. “The man with the self-inflated ego”, “Some guy who messaged me”. There are words that are meant to hurt; spoken with such hatred they are meant to last, or typed knowing they are protected behind a screen. Equally, the phrases are not always said with malice, sometimes with a lack of awareness, not reading the situation or the consequences. Willow works in a traditionally feminine, embroidery style, hand sewing every letter and word onto inherently domestic textiles such as dusters, dish cloths, pillow cases and doilies. The hand embroidery creating a conversation between the brash sayings and the delicate, domestic textiles blurring the line between art and craft. 

As long as men continue to say things without consequence, Willow will keep sewing.