Is Craft Political?
When the private domesticity of craft is turned public as a non-violent act of protest and resistance it is definitely political!
The History of Craftivism and Textile-Related Activism as Forms of Resistance Against Oppression
Craftivism, a fusion of “craft” and “activism,” represents an innovative form of resistance where art and traditional craft techniques, especially textiles, are employed to challenge social, political, and environmental injustices. This form of resistance utilizes mediums such as embroidery, knitting, quilting, and weaving to create art that is both deeply personal and politically charged. While word “craftivism” has its roots in Western contexts, textile arts and crafts as a form of activism extends globally. From anti-colonial struggles to feminist movements and environmental protests, textile-related activism has been integral to resisting oppression. Today, we’re delving into the rich history of craftivism, exploring both well-known and lesser-known global examples where textiles have been a powerful tool for social change.
Craftivism combines elements of traditional craft with a contemporary focus on social and political change, often emphasizing quiet, personal forms of protest rather than large-scale demonstrations. The movement was popularized by Sarah Corbett, a British activist, who founded the Craftivist Collective in 2009. Corbett described craftivism as "gentle protest," where acts of creating art through textiles can challenge social norms and advocate for causes such as environmental justice, gender equality, and peace (Corbett, 2017).
Corbett’s approach to craftivism is a rejection of the idea that activism must always involve direct confrontation or large public spectacles. Instead, she emphasizes the meditative and reflective nature of handcrafting as a way of creating thought-provoking dialogue. One of the collective’s most famous projects was "The Bitter Silences," where participants embroidered messages of peace and solidarity, mailing them to political leaders and organizations to create a visual protest against war (Corbett, 2017). By working quietly and individually, craftivists were able to bypass the traditional hierarchies of protest and instead reach out to decision-makers through personal, handmade objects that demanded attention.
Early Beginnings: Craft as a Subversive Act
The use of textiles as tools for activism and resistance is far from a modern phenomenon. Throughout history, women, in particular, have used craft to challenge and subvert oppressive systems, often in ways that were subtle but profound.
The French Revolution 1789-1799)
One of the most prominent early examples of textile-related activism occurred during the French Revolution (1789-1799), where textiles became symbols of revolutionary ideals and resistance against the monarchy. Women played an essential role in this period of upheaval, and their use of textiles was particularly significant in expressing solidarity with the revolutionary cause.
One key example is the “French Revolution bonnet,” a symbol of liberty worn by both men and women. The bonnet, often referred to as the "Phrygian cap" (or "Liberty cap"), became a visual emblem of revolutionary defiance. Made from red wool, signifying freedom and resistance to oppression. Women known as tricoteuses played an important role in the political and social upheaval of the time. The term tricoteuse, meaning "knitter," referred to the women who gathered in the public squares during the revolution, especially in the revolutionary tribunals. They would knit while participating in or witnessing the execution of the aristocracy. These women were among the most vocal supporters of the Revolution and their knitting symbolizes the connection between women’s labour and political involvement.
Women’s Suffrage Movement
Mary Lowndes the designer of the Suffragette banners and sashes wrote in her pamphlet “on banner’s and banner-making” “In all the ages it has been the women’s part to make the banners, if not to carry them… the divers colours of needlework, handwrought, are coming into play again, and now for the first time in history to illumine woman’s own adventure.”
Underground Railroad Quilts
In the United States, women during the 19th century also engaged in craftwork as a form of activism, notably through quilting. The “Underground Railroad quilts,” often thought to have been used as signals to guide runaway slaves to freedom, are a compelling example of how textile work was utilized for resistance. While the full extent of this symbolism is debated among historians, the narrative that quilts may have carried hidden messages about safe houses and routes emphasizes the creative ways in which textile-based work was employed as a means of covert resistance (Karpowicz, 2014).
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz and Ravensbrück
Prisoners of Nazi concentration camps including Socialists, communists, Gays, Lesbians, Tans people, Autistics, sex workers and homeless people (BBC.com) as well as Jewish men and women who were imprisoned at camps like Auschwitz and Ravensbrück were forced to make clothing for the German army including knitted socks. These were often sabotaged by their makes, tightening the heal, skipping a stitch in the toe, the result of which often blisters.
“The leader of the knitters was a political prisoner, who had been in prison for many years. She said that it was because of her that the Germans lost at Stalingrad. She had found a way to knit the socks which meant the soldiers got sores on their heels. So the boys did not get further than Stalingrad. They could not manage any more.” – Inger, Att överleva – Röster från Ravensbrück (To survive – Voices from Ravensbrück)
Resistance groups, including the French Resistance, utilized textiles like homemade flags or banners as symbols of anti-fascist solidarity and rebellion. In this way, textiles became a form of silent protest against the fascist regime (Paldiel, 1990).
The Khadi Movement in India
One of the most notable early examples of textile-related activism is the khadi movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in India. The spinning of khadi (handwoven cotton fabric) became a form of resistance against British colonial rule. By promoting self-sufficiency and the rejection of British-made goods, Gandhi’s emphasis on spinning khadi symbolized India's resistance to imperialism, economic exploitation, and cultural domination (Kumar, 2003). The khadi movement connected individuals across rural and urban India, transforming the act of weaving into a political gesture of autonomy and defiance.
The Argentinian "Madres de Plaza de Mayo"
The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo are an Argentine women's rights organization which began in 1977, who demand justice for their children who were “disappeared” during Argentina's military dictatorship. They held weekly vigils in the Plaza de Mayo in front of the presidential palace in Buenos Aires and used textiles to create powerful symbol of resistance. The mothers would embroider their children’s names onto white handkerchiefs wear them as headscarfs. These headscarves, symbolizing the intersection of motherhood and protest, were often displayed at demonstrations and in public spaces, highlighting the absence of their children while demanding justice for the atrocities committed by the government. These textile-based acts of activism serve as a poignant reminder of the power of craft in challenging political repression (Jelin, 2003).
The Craftivist Collective in the UK
The Craftivist Collective, founded by British activist Sarah Corbett in 2009, is one of the most prominent examples of contemporary craftivism. Corbett’s approach encourages small-scale, thoughtful acts of protest, such as stitching messages of social change into fabric and sending them to decision-makers. One of the collective’s projects, “The Bitter Silences,” saw activists’ hand-embroider peace messages and send them to political leaders in an effort to raise awareness about war and conflict (Corbett, 2017). This project embodied the idea of crafting as a form of “gentle protest,” where quiet, personal action can still challenge large-scale injustices.
The Ndebele Women’s Embroidery in South Africa
In South Africa, the Ndebele women’s tradition of beadwork and wall painting has long been a form of cultural expression and resistance. The Ndebele people, historically marginalized by the apartheid regime, the institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa[a] (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s which gave people class based rights based on their race, used their vibrant geometric designs to assert their identity and resist cultural erasure. These colourful designs were often woven into textiles and embroidered onto garments, which helped maintain cultural pride and solidarity under the oppressive apartheid system (Piper, 2015). The act of crafting became a collective form of resistance to racial segregation and systemic oppression, as these designs were a visible and practical assertion of Ndebele identity in the face of extreme colonial racism.
Feminist and Environmental Activism Through Textiles
Craftivism also intersects significantly with feminist and environmental movements globally. Textiles offer a space for women to reclaim their agency and challenge systems that oppress them, from environmental destruction to the exploitation of labor in the garment industry.
The Slow Fashion Movement and Environmental Activism
Textile activism in the 21st century has increasingly focused on environmental justice, particularly through the slow fashion movement. In response to the environmental and social consequences of fast fashion, activists have turned to the creation of homemade garments, upcycling, and advocating for sustainable fashion practices. One example is the "Fashion Revolution" movement, which originated after the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, which killed over a thousand workers. Using hashtags like #WhoMadeMyClothes, activists worldwide used textiles to question the ethics of fast fashion and demand transparency and better working conditions for garment workers. This movement highlights how textiles can act as both a medium of protest and a solution to environmental and economic inequality (Cline, 2012).
Tent Embassies and 60,000 years of continuous culture
In Australia, Indigenous women’s weaving traditions were long suppressed by British colonial authorities, who sought to erase Indigenous cultures. The act of continuing these practices in the face of erasure was an act of defiance against colonial oppression and a way of preserving Indigenous knowledge and identity (McConchie, 2015). In Australia, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, established in 1972 in Canberra, became a powerful symbol of resistance against the Australian government’s policies toward Indigenous land rights. The Tent Embassy was created by a group of Aboriginal activists who camped outside Parliament House to demand land rights for Indigenous peoples. In addition to the protest camp itself, textiles played an important role in this movement. Flags, banners, and quilts were created as part of the protest, symbolizing resistance to the ongoing dispossession of Indigenous lands and the systematic denial of land rights. Crochet blankets, as well as banners and flags sewn by Indigenous women, were not merely decorative but integral to the movement’s visual protest and political message. fabric art in this context became an important form of reclaiming public space and asserting identity, heritage, and sovereignty.
Yarn Bombing and Knitting Nannas
In Australia the Knitting Nannas Against Gas group protest fracking and gas extraction through knit-ins. These incredible community activists use the knit ins as an opportunity to engage with the broader community and empower passers by with knowledge of the issue of gas. They state “we look at the bigger picture. We try to keep a focus on a global resolution because there’s no point us winning in Australia if the rest of the world goes kaput, because the whole thing’s interconnected.” In their own words, KNAG’s work is purposeful, relevant and fun.
Textile Activism and Intersectional Resistance
Craftivism intersects with broader movements for gender, racial, and economic justice, with many textile activists using their craft as a tool to reflect upon and resist systemic inequalities. The quilting tradition, for example, has long been used to address issues of race, gender, and identity. The “Black Lives Matter” movement, which rose to prominence in the 2010s, was accompanied by a surge in textile-related activism, with activists and artists creating quilts and fabric art that demanded justice for Black lives (Nelson, 2016).
Queer Lives and Their Memorials
One notable example is the AIDS memorial quilt project, which began in the 1980s in response to the AIDS epidemic. A large-scale collaborative project, the AIDS Memorial Quilt, became a powerful visual testament to the lives lost to the disease, but it also represented the collective power of marginalized communities coming together through craft to resist government inaction and societal stigmatization (Gorman, 1993). The AIDS Memorial Quilt remains an emblematic example of how textiles can provide a platform for mourning, remembrance, and activism, offering both a personal and collective means of resistance against the oppression of marginalized groups.
LGBTQIA+ People demonstrate the power of Craft and expression through fashion and textiles. The Pride Marches and Mardi Gras held around the world to celebrate queer joy and identity are a constant beacon for marginalised people of the importance of their existence in this world. Their flamboyant and creative expression of identity is proof of the power of craftivism.
Gender Affirming Care
Using textile production skills for the creation of gender affirming care items like binders and packers is an opportunity to provide non medical assistance to those experiencing gender dysphoria as well as an opportunity to be an ally.
Pink Pussy Hats
“On 21 January 2017 a knitted pink hat became a global symbol of female solidarity and the power of collective action. Known as the Pussyhat it was worn by many of the half a million people who took part in the Women's March in Washington DC. An estimated 4 million people took part in sister marches in over 600 cities around the world on the same day.”
The Pussyhat project was founded by Jayna Zweiman and Krista Suh and today the hat is an instantly recognisable symbol of female solidarity and the power of collective action through craft.
Upcycling for the Environment
Craftivism often intertwines with environmental activism, especially in the context of sustainability. Many contemporary craftivists use textile crafts as a way of opposing fast fashion, advocating for ethical production and consumption, and promoting the slow fashion movement. Every upcycle, recycle and reuse of textiles is an act of craftivism for the good of the environment. Upcycling encourages individuals to engage with environmentalism and is a statement that fashion can be an ethical, sustainable practice (Cline, 2012).
Conclusion: Craftivism as a Vital Tool for Resistance
Textile-related activism has evolved from early forms of resistance, such as the spinning of khadi and the symbolism of Underground Railroad quilts, into a modern movement that uses craft to challenge oppression and inequality. Through projects like the AIDS Memorial Quilt, Black Lives Matter quilts, and contemporary craftivism efforts led by groups like the Craftivist Collective, textiles continue to serve as powerful forms of resistance. Craftivism represents a blend of tradition and innovation, offering activists a unique way to engage with political issues and create change through personal, tactile forms of protest. By reclaiming the craft and re-imagining its political potential, textile activists continue to challenge the systems of power that oppress marginalized communities, proving that quiet, meditative acts of creation can indeed be revolutionary.
References
Corbett, S. (2017). How to be a Craftivist: The Art of Gentle Protest. Unbound.
Cline, E. (2012). Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. Portfolio.
Gorman, B. (1993). The AIDS Memorial Quilt: A Tribute to the Lives Lost to AIDS. Smithsonian Institution Press.
Karpowicz, S. (2014). Hidden Messages in the Underground Railroad Quilts. History Today, 64(3), 21-27.
Kumar, R. (2003). The Politics of Khadi: Gandhi’s Call for Self-Sufficiency and Its Social Impact. Cambridge University Press.
Nelson, D. (2016). Crafting Justice: Quilts, Race, and Gender in the Black Lives Matter Movement. Textile Studies Journal, 24(4), 87-94.
Warner, G. (2017). Protest Knits. Herbert Press
Baur, A. (2019). Alterknit Rebellion: Radical Patterns for Creative Knitters. David and Charles.
Tapper, J. (2011) Craft Acvtivism: People, Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In. Random House Inc.
Lothian, S. (2018) Guerilla Kindness and Other Acts of Creative Resistance. Mango Publishing Group
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