Grandma’s Patchwork Blanket

2016. Pig skin, wool, performance.

Grandma's Patchwork Blanket was a sculpture made entirely out of raw pig skin, which was worn by Katherine during the entire 3 hour opening of the exhibition 'Somebody Nobody' at UNSW Art & Design's Black Box Theater in November 2016. 

'Somebody Nobody' analysed the body, examining its central role in contemporary art practice, how it has been and is culturalised in traditional societies, its multiple practical functions, and the body's expressive capacities, such as movement, sounds, facial expression and adornment. 

Grandma's Patchwork Blanket explored how the skin, an organ of the human body, is a protective layer completely enclosing the body. It fights against bacteria and disease, keeping us safe on a daily basis. The pig skin blanket compares this practically functioning organ to a hand knitted blanket made by your grandma, created with love and care to surround and engulf you in warmth and comfort.