Secret Pockets of Women: Dukke
Secret Pockets of Women: Dukke, 2025 is an artist book exploring Norwegian folklore through storytelling and portraiture, focusing on the character, Dukke's, perspective of finding love. The project is presented as an artist book composed of four pieces in an edition of six and one large linoleum relief fabric print accompanies the project.
During my time in Kristiansand, Norway, I immersed myself in learning about local traditions. I discovered the historic folklore tale "Dukken i Gresset" ("The Doll in the Grass"), which tells the story of Dukke, a miniature woman living in the grasses, and Askeladden, a disowned prince, and their journey to finding one another. An integral element of the tale is the sewing of a gifted shirt. Inspired by this, I decided to visually narrate the story on a hand-printed shirt. I created unique printing blocks from Chinese puzzle tangram shapes, then arranged them to form a variety of human figures. animals, objects, and landscape elements.
A detachable outer pocket is an element of traditional clothing worn in Norway. Inspired by this tradition, I created a version for Dukke. The front features a large flower printed from tangram blocks, accented with hand embroidery along the edges. The pocket contains a miniature shirt, a miniature pocket, and the large shirt which serves as the visual narrative. Each of the six pockets in the edition is accompanied by a unique sterling silver brooch pin, allowing the pocket to be attached and worn as a piece of wearable book art. The entire set constitutes a single artist book, with the pocket itself serving as the book's cover. This project is the second in a series exploring world folklore women’s secret pockets.
MEDIA AND SIZES:
Fabric: Wearable Book Arts, Linoleum Relief Prints using Chinese tangram shapes, Sewing, Hand Embroidery
♻️ This project reuses recycled materials, locally-purchased in Kristiansand: fabrics, fabric trims, quilting, and embroidery thread. Half of the printing ink is reuse. ♻️ The other half of the printing ink and the linoleum are new and locally purchased.
Dukke's Pockets, Linoleum relief printed, sewing, hand embroidery, pocket: 7-1/4" x 10-3/4" [18.4cm x 27.5cm]
Sterling Silver Brooch Pin, each is unique, 2-1/2” to 3-1/2” wide [6.4cm to 9cm]. ♻️ Brooches are reused and purchased in the U.S. ♻️
Miniature Pocket, 1/2” x 7/8” [1.27cm x 2.22cm] and Miniature Shirt, 3” x 1-1/2” [7.6cm x 3.8cm], sewn, cotton fabric
Dukken i Gresset Double-sided Fabric Shirt, folk tale told visually, linoleum relief print on cotton Scandinavian fabric, 21-1/2” x 27-1/4" [54.6cm x 69.2cm]
Kristiansand Story Cloth, Linoleum Relief Print on cotton fabric, 33.5" x 63" [85cm x 160cm]. Not part of the artist book
Published at Agdar Kunstsenter, Kristiansand, Norway in May-June 2025.