Hessie’s (1933-2017) artistic practice has redefined the boundaries between embroidery and collage. She mainly worked with very simple materials, such as cotton fabrics or used packaging materials of all kinds. Overtly minimalist and abstract, they were transformed into striking, vivid, and animated geometric compositions, exemplifying a unique poetic language developed over time.
With a large body of work divided into various series such as Boutons [Buttons] (1974-1975), Trous [Holes] (1973), Végétations [Vegetations] (1970s), and Déchets collages [Waste Collage] (1976), just to name a few, Hessie’s ability to transform domestic techniques into powerful artistic expressions made her a pioneering feminist figure, who challenged the idea that female ascribed activities such as sewing or embroidery were just simplistic or old-fashioned.
As a self-taught artist, she was inspired by everyday life and materials such as buttons, paper scraps, threads, or salvaged objects, challenging conventional notions and understandings of arts and/or crafts. In certain cases, the boundaries between art and science were blurred. For instance, in the series Végétations, whose title is a clear and direct reference to plants, the artist’s works appear full of life through the repetitiveness of the red or white threads, reminiscing the microscopic observation of cells, which, as defined by human biologists, are the smallest common denominator of life, responsible for all functional aspects of an organism.
Beyond the harmony or formal beauty of her textile pieces, Hessie’s works also highlight the profound potential of textiles as a medium for social and artistic commentary. Due to the tactile intimacy of fabric, each piece carries personal and collective narratives, offering a deeply humane and subversive voice that addresses societal issues such as labor and gender through a familiar medium. Furthermore, the slow, deliberate process of stitching, sewing, and perforating contrasts with the idea of mass production, displaying the artist’s conscious approach to sustainable practices. The aspect of time and its passing as well as her life conditions also left their mark on the works, for example in the form of traces of rust and water, which were due to the precarious storage conditions in her house, a lighthouse in the French countryside where she lived most of her adult life.
