Extreme Artist Stitches Embroidery Into Her Own Flesh

For her project “Woman’s Work is Never Done,” UK artist Eliza Bennett decided to make an unforgettable statement about gender roles by using the technique of embroidery... and instead of sewing the multicolored threads into a fabric canvas, she wove the strange patterns directly into the skin of her own left hand.

 

 

“Using my own hand as a base material, I considered it a canvas upon which I stitched into the top layer of skin, using thread to create the appearance of an incredibly work-worn hand,” Bennett explains. She chose the needlepoint style because it represents a traditional concept of “women's work,” and wove the threads into the shape of calluses to challenge that idea.

 

 

Bennett's project has been featured in art and design magazines like Hi Fructose and Zillamag, and you can see more of her work at her official site.