Craftivism and the art of Changemaking—16 beautiful banners you must see

Posted on 7 July, 2022

In glitter, sequins, tassels and appliqué, a group of young “craftivists” have crafted a celebratory tribute to the rallying cries of women over the generations, in a collections of banners that herald the arrival of the Museum of Australian Democracy’s (MoAD) Changemakers exhibition.

The 16 banners were created by lead artist Tal Fitzpatrick (she/her) alongside Wadawurrung artist Kait James (she/her), disabled artist Amy Claire Mills (she/her), Pacific Climate Warrior Guy Ritani (la/they) and artist Sofia Fitzpatrick (she/her).

The banners are informed by a long history of women using craft to call for justice and equality. The collection took more than a year to complete and includes notable feminist slogans such as “Votes for Women,” “My Body, My Choice,” “Biology is Not Destiny,” and “#metoo.”

Image by Pew Pew Studio.

Tal was chosen to lead the project following a career in which her sewing has elevated a number of social, political and environmental issues around the globe. “Making protest banners is a part of my creative/activist practice as a craftivist,” says Tal.

“My work is informed by the many generations of women before me who have used textile art and craft medium to express their values and protest inequality. Historically, my influences include the textile works created by the Suffragettes and the Trade Union Banners, while more recent projects that inspire my work include the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Monument Quilt and the Protest Banner Lending Library.”

The Israeli-born Australian artist, craftivist and researcher holds a PhD in Visual Art from the Victorian College of the Arts and has led several global craftivism projects, including the @Covid19quilt (2020), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Quilt Project (2016-2018) and the PM Please Quilt Project (2017).

Tal’s textile-based practice is strongly influenced by the work of her paternal grandmother, Australian artist Dawn Fitzpatrick (1922-2021), and combines the physical techniques of appliqué quilting and embroidery with the practice of socially-engaged art making and digital tools, including social media.

While it was fitting that MoAD engaged Tal for the works, the logistics of creating 16 flagship banners for the exhibition proved difficult during the pandemic when work needed to be sent between chosen practitioners.

Image by Pew Pew Studio.

“I worked on 13 of the 16 banners in this collection out of my Gold Coast-based studio upstairs at local music venue Mo’s Desert Clubhouse. These include two banners that I made in collaboration with my sister Sofia Fitzpatrick, as well Guy Ritani’s piece, which I assisted with.”

“Amy Claire Mills and Kait James worked on their banners in their respective studios in Sydney and Melbourne and then sent their banners directly to MoAD, meaning I didn’t see them in person until the day the exhibition opened!”

Guy Ritani had recently moved up to Mt Tamborine which meant they could come down and work alongside me at my studio on the Gold Coast in order to create their banner. They hadn’t done any textile-based craft work before this so I taught them some basic stitching techniques as well as how to bead and use a sewing machine—they are an absolute natural!”

Image by Pew Pew Studio.

Once the banners were complete, they were posted to the MoAD team, which then installed the work ahead of the exhibition

The banners are made using a plethora of upcycled, reused and some new materials including lots of tassels, pompoms, spikes, sequins and beads. “We are all a ‘more-is-more’ bunch which means the collection is a very brightly coloured, textured and sparkly,” says Tal.

“We hope that the materiality of these works, their vibrancy, beauty and the amount of time it took to make them, entices viewers in and encourages them to consider their messages with the same care that went into their creation.”

And of course, it’s hard for Tal to pick a favourite.

“I love each of them for different reasons, but as I shared these online via my social media there did seem to be some that really struck a chord. For example, I shared the My Body My Choice banner just as the news about changes to abortion rights in the USA was coming out and the post was widely shared by people (mostly women) who were appalled at how our hard-won reproductive rights were being attacked and taken away.”

Tal feels that the banners pay homage to “countless nameless activists, community organisers, legislators and agitators who fought for each of these causes and who created the possibility for change”.

Image by Pew Pew Studio.

“We are all indebted to these communities of people who cared enough to put themselves out there and fight for progress, fight for the rights that we celebrate today, fight for the opportunities and privileges that we enjoy, and, who started the battles for the rights that we are still fighting for today.”

And a more beautiful opening to an exhibition you would be pressed to find.