Stitched drawings of Five Homes

"In my stitched drawings, I explore my own existence, perceived through a fragmented living space. I reveal the environment that directly surrounds and simultaneously defines me. I analyse my home, dispersed across five locations, as both an impression given by space with the presence or absence of a figure, and as a space filled with numerous details, which I interpret through precise drawing. I never include a figure; instead, I play only with architectural elements, objects, and vegetation, which help define each specific space. The stitching traces are simply connected with the paths I travelled weekly. This turns out to be a rather specific form of migration, especially since my living space is somewhat unusual. It’s divided across five different locations, each of which I equally perceive as my home. This sounds completely absurd, as home, according to the definition in the Dictionary of the Slovenian Literary Language (2005), is a space or house where one permanently lives or originates from. This doesn’t apply to me.

My home first split in early childhood, with my parents' divorce and their decision for joint custody. Thus, the first home, located on Pohorje in Kebelj, was joined by a second in Slovenska Bistrica, where I live with my mother. The third stems from the many holidays spent at my grandmother's home in Kamnica. The fourth connects to my partner's home in Maribor, and the fifth is a result of studying in Ljubljana. I gradually became aware that issues like my parents’ separation, ties with grandparents, a romantic relationship, and career decisions weighed on me to such an extent that fragments of answers unconsciously surfaced in the decisions and actions I made daily. I realized that the only suitable content for my master's thesis could be an exploration of my own existence, perceived through a fragmented living space. I express each proposed resolution in a drawing, which I collect in a sketchbook. A drawing on paper represents the foundation, which I then adapt and stitch onto fabric (unprimed canvas, not stretched on a frame). I bring the mental restitution of a split home to wholeness, both metaphorically and literally, using needle and thread."

This text is from my master’s thesis titled “5 Homes – Stitched Drawing”.