WOMEN‘S STUFF

Diptych of hanging textile objects
Approx. 90 × 130 cm each
Embroidered silk thread on transparent jute
2024

The work Women’s Stuff is part of the larger body of work Threads of Resilience, a collaboration between
Claudia A. Cruz and Portuguese textile artist Inès Queirós. It was presented as part of the exhibition FEMALE GAZE & POWER at Syker Vorwerk – Center for Contemporary Art in October 2024.

The piece addresses the invisibility of activities traditionally associated with femininity: daily routines,
manual labor, caregiving and emotional labor, the media representation of women, and the structural devaluation of women‘s contributions to economic and societal progress. In a consciously restrained, almost silent gesture, Claudia A. Cruz reflects on the persistent invisibility and systematic undervaluation of female-coded labor. Onto nearly transparent fabric, she embroiders weighty statements—using precious silk thread and the seemingly banal technique of chain stitch. This poetic-political gesture highlights the stark contrast between the immense value of such work and its perceived insignificance in public discourse.

A.Cruz‘s artistic focus lies in the research and revival of traditional textile techniques closely tied to women‘
s manual labor—methods that historically played a crucial role in the development of civilization,
particularly in the context of textile production as a cultural and economic driver.