HAREBRAINED (Artwork)
2023
This embroidered linen piece - depicting the head of a hare, with a clockface stitched within the eye - was created by co-producer Hannah Holden for display in the co-curated gallery trail "Nothing Without Us: Experiences of Disability" at the Pitt Rivers Museum, curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan, running from 16th November 2023 - 6th...
Rights information: Copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
Description
This embroidered linen piece - depicting the head of a hare, with a clockface stitched within the eye - was created by co-producer Hannah Holden for display in the co-curated gallery trail "Nothing Without Us: Experiences of Disability" at the Pitt Rivers Museum, curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan, running from 16th November 2023 - 6th October 2024.
Inspired by objects in the collection, especially 1931.32.1, an Ancient Peruvian information system called quipu or khipu made of tallies, currently displayed near to Harebrained in Writing and Communication. Harebrained illustrates Hannah’s feelings of distress without access to a timekeeping device (the eye of the hare depicts a clockface), and how she uses repetitive tasks like embroidery and creating tallies in order to calm herself.
Community curation: I made this embroidered hare to represent both the calming effect of tactile work and the distress I experience without access to a timekeeping device. Roman numerals suggesting a clockface are only just perceptible in the hare’s eye. Autistic people often rely on routine to maintain a sense of control in a world that can otherwise be sensorially overwhelming. Embroidery, wirework and other tactile activities are a fantastic help when I am trying to decompress after dealing with overstimulating environments. - Hannah H, Museum Enjoyer