Brittany Bishop, ‘Deidlike’, 2022. Lily stamens, red henna, dirt on chiffon fabric. 420 x 250 cm. Image courtesy: the artist.

Artist statement

Deidlike is a suspended textile work that adopts the holistic practices of natural dyeing, experimenting with the concept of an expanded painting. Each fabric section is a visual culmination of the artist's grief, from the hammered funeral flowers, the dirt shroud, to the lived in fabric that collected bodily histories of the artist, over a week-long period, that was later submerged in her hair colouring henna. Deidlike abstracts the deeply traumatic event of losing a grandparent, whilst speaking to the universal difficulty in accepting the “end” of a mourning period. Its installation engages ideas of monument and memorial, with its size conducting viewers to subconsciously perform the act of paying respect.

@bishop.art (On Instagram)