Diana Jean Puglisi

An invisible bodily chain reaction:
stuffed, stretched, off-kilter,
reshaped into a new state of being.

 

Shedding a skin of what once was.

Singular once again,

a pillow for new life.

 

Femme Body Cushions is a series of self-portraits of my body in transformative states, stemming from a poem I wrote during my fourth trimester. These stitched, squished, cut, and pinched forms explore the emotional dichotomies experienced during pregnancy and motherhood, from protection and endangerment to guilt and anxiety, ultimately leading to the emergence of tertiary emotions.

 

Through a lexicon of propagated sewing tools, mutated fig leaves, reproductions of heirlooms, and abstract hints of clothing I create sensorial forms that live as surrogates for female bodies and their parts and functions. I use my lived experience as a woman to create feminist works, emphasizing the interlaced nature of the personal and political with issues of bodily autonomy.​

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The textile techniques and objects in my sculptures derive from my Croatian and Italian matriarchal lineage. The lace, cameos, and thimbles are casts of heirlooms made or worn by sisters, aunts, mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. Through my studio practice, I eagerly interweave my hand with the cultural traditions and histories practiced by women before me.