Women’s experiences focus of exhibition

SUSPENDED blue aprons tangled together make up a new exhibition by Dr Flossie Peitsche at the Eureka Centre.

Apronstrings opened last Saturday, and the entangled garments represent women’s selfless contributions and acts of service across time.

The aim of the exhibition is to encourage people to reflect on the experiences of women.

“It’s been a longstanding issue for me, the idea of women’s roles in society,” said Peitsche.

“The aprons were an obvious outcome of the idea of what represents service to a community, which is often now taken on by women.

“In the past, when women had beautiful clothes, they’d put an apron on to cover their day clothes and say, ‘here I am, I’m at your service’.”

The strings on the aprons act as a symbol of women being bound together by their experience and being attached to society through servitude while being individually strong.

“We have to be individually strong and then the ties we have with other women and our families have to be hanging on us,” said Peitsche.

“The shape of the apron also echoes a shield because women often shielded their families from cold, from hunger, from attacks.

“It’s a huge role for anyone to submit to.”

Visitors can add tags onto the apron strings with the names of influential women or women of personal importance.

“As willing as most people who take on being a protector or defender are, they get knocked about and some never recover,” said Peitsche.

“It’s never too late for someone in the present day to remember somebody who probably they didn’t thank or welcome or appreciate at the time.”

Apronstrings is open now at the Eureka Centre until Sunday 15 September.