Rowena, Juliana, Angela Foong (High Tea with Mrs Woo)

Resilience Coat 2023
Raw, undyed, woven cotton cloth, biodegradable threads, recycled brass

Artist statement:

The Resilience Coat is crafted by a complex intersection of two spaces - the climate crisis caused by the clothing industry and the public health crisis caused by discrimination.

Inspired by Juliana Nkrumah AM (founder of African Women Australia) who tells us, "I wake up every morning and put on my resilience coat before I leave home." Ever since, we've been fascinated by what this garment could be - what does it mean, what is it made of, what does it look and feel like. External and internal considerations, personal enquiries and world concerns, production processes and material values are used to create this Resilience Coat.

We wake up every morning and put on our Resilience Coat because every day we confront, and we are confronted. Every day this coat offers its shape for protection, its folds for adventure, exploit and ordeal. It’s a blanket, as well as a shield.