Self Portraits by Isabel Szabo

About this project: "This is a hand embroidered artwork made with silk thread on calico and framed in a wooden hoop. This piece was inspired by my time in isolation, not seeing many faces other than my own, so I combined a number of self portraits layered together as one."

Scroll down to see this entry and to find out more about the contributing artist.

About the artist: "I am an artist from Melbourne who primarily works with embroidery and crochet. Currently I am in my final semester of a bachelor of arts, majoring in art history. One of the ideas I hope to get across through my art is that embroidery, crochet and other fiber arts can be more than just decorative crafts, pushing them further into the realms of fine art. My artworks encompass a range of themes that stem from my growing knowledge of art history, animal welfare, and, more often than not, things that I love. At the moment I am working on improving my crochet skills, which I would like to one day incorporate into my embroidered works."

We asked, our artists answered: why does creativity matter now? "At this current time, creativity is incredibly important to me because it is something that allows me freedom. I don't have to worry about having my artworks graded or sticking to any particular criteria, so I am able to just have fun with it. The process of creating my art also takes a lot of patience, which is something many of us really need now being in lockdown for a second time. It gives my mind something to do when I feel like I need a break from uni or the rest of the world."