How shall we appreciate the rich individuality that makes up each person? How can the domestic craft of crochet become a way to express emotions? This is what Singapore textile artist Kelly Limerick explores in this artwork. In a fast-paced world of generalised news feeds, Limerick wishes to invite you into the personal stories of thirteen local crocheters and the Bloomberg community.
Diary is inspired by the Quipu, an ancient Andean recording device that uses a variety of knots on strings to convey information. The crocheters follow a system of colours and patterns that reflect time, ages and emotions conceived by Limerick. The result of overlapping tubular "threads" communicate thirteen human stories that evolved over three months of attentive crocheting. Within these threads, you will also find personal memorabilia from Bloomberg employees, intimately bringing together communities who may not otherwise overlap.
For the viewer, the patterns and hints that Limerick and her team of crocheters leave behind will allow one to uncover narratives, memories, sentiments and habits that are present in the artwork. Diary wants you to pause and contemplate the experiences of those who had contributed to it.
Text by Adele Tan (National Gallery Singapore)
Crocheters are divided into 3 groups depending on their age, as written in the far left column, and assigned a colour group each. Each colour represents a different day of the week. By observing the crocheted tubes closely, you can deduce how much time a person of age X spends on crochet in a day. Looking at the installation from afar, you can also spot which colour group occurs more frequently, showing which age group spends the most time crocheting.
Each stitch pattern represents a certain emotion, as marked in the image above. There are a total of 13 emotions. The crocheters are given a reference guide, and made to crochet their emotions to form a visual pattern. It is a way of recording their emotions like a diary, and also allowing them to be more mindful and aware of how they are feeling in the day.
Often, domestic crafts are practiced for the creation of items for others, and hardly for the creators themselves. Items for the home, for charity, for friends. When does a crocheter think of themselves and their own feelings? This is also an exploration for the participating crocheters to think differently about their work, to take time to ask themselves how they feel and express it in their creations. Instead of being completely freestyle, following the system allows these feelings to be translated for anyone— as long as they might want to understand them.
By including an equal number of crocheters per age group, we can observe certain habits and patterns. How long do people above 44 years old spend on crochet everyday? How often does someone below 25 years old feel loved? This showcases a variety within a ‘common hobby’, thought to be so simple. It strips a bit of anonymity off these crocheters, who feel a sense of belonging contributing a part of their lives to this larger fabric— a community they feel at home with where differences in age, cultures, and jobs are put aside. These threads criss-cross and overlap, echoing the paths of these crocheters brought together in this project.
Reflections from participating crocheters
Often we are so quick to move from one instance in our life to another, that we fail to sit with our emotions and acknowledge them. The crochet dairies became my daily mindfulness routine. It forced me to acknowledge my sadness and anger, but also my happiness and excitement for life as i crocheted my heart into the piece.
- Xiaohan (20)
Through this whole project, I’m glad that I get to crochet my emotions out on a daily basis and it was for sure the most comforting activity and serves as an outlet for me to pour all those emotions in after a long day at work!!!
- Fiona (26)
Working on this project has been a great learning experience. This project has put me out of my comfort zone because I was working with new material and stitches that I was unfamiliar. I'm extremely thankful for the opportunity to learn more about what goes into her crochet creations, and to have met others in this community.
- Ethanne (22)
Embarking on this crochet project was both exhilarating and challenging. The initial attempts were a bit shaky, with uneven stitches and trying to learn new stitches. However, with your help and feedback, I was able to correct my mistakes and feel more confident of my work. The whole experience was very insightful and I have gained a ton of knowledge about crocheting. I have definitely leveled up as a crocheter!
- Timothy (26)
Crocheting is typically a solo endeavour, so it felt refreshing to be part of a collaborative effort. Even though we worked independently, seeing our individual pieces come together to form a larger work of art was heartwarming. Knowing that we could reach out to the group chat for support and clarification on any uncertainties was reassuring.
The concept of using different crochet stitches to represent our moods made me more aware of my emotional states throughout the duration of the project, and it added a layer of depth and personal connection to the crochet work.
- Jessie (30)
I love the creativity of the art to reflect the feelings and the life of the various age groups; makes it a very meaningful art piece to showcase the work of the group too.
- Pamela (50)