Shea O’Keefe Wangaratta VIC Ecdysis repurposed nylon stockings, pipe cleaners, cotton yarn, sequins, pom poms, cotton thread, wire, hospital medical identification bracelets. Ecdysis combines readymade craft materials, hand-dyed repurposed hosiery, and intricate construction to represent a post-surgery body during the artist’s chemotherapy and recovery. The work, ritualistic in nature, expresses healing through abject materials and intense repetition. The hollowed form, with lungs rising in defiance, symbolizes the vulnerability of the naked form after a near-fatal ordeal. Each stitch represents time passing during treatment and post-surgical recovery, weaving a narrative of survival and transformation. O’Keefe challenges traditional textile perceptions by incorporating unconventional materials, crude stitches, and experimental techniques. The piece evokes themes of mortality and metamorphosis.
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