Story Dresses

As an artist, my work reflects the complexities of our past, present and future. My latest collection, the "Women of Michel" series, is inspired by the coal mining town where I grew up and the stories of the women who lived there. Using a cut-up wedding dress, I aim to challenge traditional gender roles and explore themes of renewal, strength, and resilience.

 

The delicate nature of the dress represents the fragility of societal expectations, while the bold and fragmented pieces symbolize the powerful transformations that occur when those expectations are broken. Through this work, I hope to celebrate the courage and determination of the women in my community, and to inspire others to embrace their own inner strength and creativity.

 

My goal with the "Women of Michel" series is not just to create art, but to spark a conversation about the role of women in society and to challenge the status quo. I believe that art has the power to inspire change, and I am proud to be a part of that movement.

 

Michelle Loughery's Women of Michel series is a powerful and evocative collection of installation art that combines digital forms such as video and podcast storytelling with traditional materials like lace. The artist takes a personal and emotional approach to her work, cutting up her own wedding dress to create pieces that explore the experiences and stories of women in the coal mining town of Michel, British Columbia. Through this series, Loughery aims to not only shed light on the forgotten or overlooked narratives of women in this community, but to also challenge and inspire viewers to reflect on the experiences and emotions that they hold close. The intricate lace work and multilayered digital content in this series work together to create a rich and moving tapestry of the women of Michel, capturing the complexities of their experiences and making a powerful statement about the power of renewal through social inclusion.