Jess de Wahls

Jess de Wahls is an East German-born textile and embroidery artist based in South London.[1][2][3] She received media attention in 2021 when the Royal Academy announced it would be removing her work following complaints of alleged transphobia, then days later apologised and retracted.[4][5] Her work focuses on what she terms 'Retex (recycled textile) sculpting',[6] her art concerning itself with gender equality, as well as recycling.[7][2]

Jess de Wahls
Born1983 (age 39–40)
Berlin, East Germany
Known forfeminist textile & embroidery
StyleRetex (recycled textile) sculpting
Websitejessdewahls.com

Background

de Wahls grew up in East Berlin and moved to the UK in 2004.[7][8] Her work features embroidery weaving together feminism and plant life.[9] In her art she explores subjects such as the environment, contemporary feminism, female liberation,[10] misogyny, gender inequalities and fetishism and employs creative textile recycling as part of her practice.[2]

She works to raise the profile of embroidery as an art form. She has said "embroidery or textile art in general has always been sidelined as women's work, and regarded as somehow less than mainstream art. I've been taking quite a stand over the years now to make a point that embroidery is just as much art as any other medium".[10] Her work is part of a movement to depict vagina and vulva in art.[11]

According to the Royal Academy of Arts, once in London de Wahls quickly established her name as the 'Enfant Terrible Of British Textile Arts'.[12][13] The New Statesman called her a 'picture-perfect bohemian artist for our times',[14] and the Artichoke Trust said she is 'a bona fide lynch pin of the British textile art scene'.[15]

Career

Artist

de Wahls says there are two major themes she explores throughout her work. The first is intersectional feminism, gender inequalities as well as the civil rights aspects that are often closely aligned with one another. The second is what she refers to as 'waste culture' and recycling. [2]

de Wahls has exhibited her work in the UK,[16][17] Australia[18] and the US.[19][20] She mentors finalists for the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery in London and also teaches her own contemporary embroidery style in national and international workshops.[12][13] This has included embroidery workshops at the Soho Theatre, Laura Lea Design in London[21] as well as in Australia where she toured with her Big Swinging Ovaries project.[22][18][23]

In 2017 she created a feminist embroidery workshop project titled Big Swinging Ovaries. It ran out of the Tate Modern in London and also toured Australia.[11][22]

She was involved in raising funds for the Vagina Museum in London.[6] On the topic of women's genitalia, de Wahls says: "I think it is very helpful to have this conversation, making people comfortable with saying vagina, vulva, clitoris and all that kind of stuff."[22]

Prior to 2019 she ran a small hairdressing salon out of the cabaret dressing room at the Soho Theatre.[24][3]

de Wahls was commissioned by the Artichoke Trust in 2018 to create a work for PROCESSIONS' '100 years 100 Banners' together with Women for Refugee Women.[15] Her work remains on display in the 'Women Making History' exhibition as the Trust says the banners project is "notable for its diversity and inclusivity".[25]

Controversy

de Wahls's work attracted widespread media attention in 2021 when the Royal Academy of Arts removed her work from its gift shop following complaints of alleged transphobia by eight people,[1] before apologising and reversing the decision.[26][4][5] The incident became the focus of a wider discussion about freedom of expression in the arts.[27][28] The Academy’s secretary and chief executive, Axel Rüger, later apologised to de Wahls, and the decision to remove the work from sale was described as a failure of communication.[28] The UK culture secretary, Oliver Dowden welcomed the apology, saying: "Freedom of expression is central to great art and culture and should always be protected."[26]

Following the apology her work went back on sale and The Royal Academy committed to reviewing its internal processes. de Wahls reported that her sales boomed following the controversy.[3]

Personal life

de Wahls was born in East Berlin in 1983.[8] Her mother worked as a secretary and her father in a radiator factory. After reunification both her parents took jobs as prison warders.[3] She has a 'gender non-conforming' father who enjoys dressing in women's clothing. de Wahls has said of him: "My father doesn't do labels other than sometimes jokingly calling himself a paradise bird."[29]

  • de Wahls, Jess (2021). "Jess De Wahls️️️️️️️ | Artist | •Enfant Terrible of Textile Art• | ꒪\/꒪". Instagram.
  • de Wahls, Jess (5 August 2019). "Art concept explainer: Somewhere over the Rainbow, something went terribly wrong...". Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  • RA (23 June 2021). "Media Statement from the Royal Academy of Arts" (PDF). Royal Academy of Arts. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 October 2021.
  • de Wahls, Jess (8 July 2021). "How I was stitched up by the Royal Academy". The Spectator Australia. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.

References
  1. "Jess de Wahls: Artist wants apology from Royal Academy over transphobia row". BBC News Online. 21 June 2021. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  2. Khan, Sara (21 February 2018). "Textile artist Jess De Wahls on making feminist embroidery". London: Crafts Council (UK). Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  3. Membery, York (4 July 2021). "Jess de Wahls: 'There's been a massive spike in demand. Just about all my stock has gone'". The Times UK. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  4. "Royal Academy apologises to artist Jess de Wahls in transphobia row". BBC News Online. 23 June 2021. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  5. Lloyd, Nina; Reynolds, John (29 November 2021). "Jess de Wahls condemns 'Cold War' approach to cancel culture". The Times UK. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  6. "Jess de Wahls | Interview" (pdf). London Runway (magazine). No. 30. London. 6 December 2018. pp. 38–42. ISBN 9798606218639. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021 – via Issuu.
  7. "Jess de Wahls – Recycled textile sculpture". TextileArtist.org. 27 January 2015. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. Vogelsang, Willem (19 June 2021). "Wahls, Jess de". Netherlands: Textile Research Centre. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  9. Riddle, Naomi (13 July 2018). "Big Swinging Ovaries - Jess de Wahls". Running Dog. Sydney. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  10. "6 Questions: Jess de Wahls, Textile Artist". Lux Magazine. 19 October 2021. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  11. Thomson, Lizzie (14 February 2019). "Tate Modern to host a women-themed Late with a vagina embroidery workshop". Evening Standard. London: Evening Standard Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020.
  12. "Patch Dahlia". Royal Academy of Arts UK. 16 June 2021. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  13. "Someone's Daughters | Jess de Wahls". www.theviewmagazine.org. Someone's Daughter exhibition. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  14. Perry, Louise (29 June 2021). "The Jess De Wahls debacle shows you can only really be cancelled by your friends". New Statesman. London. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  15. "Jess de Wahls working with Women For Refugee Women". PROCESSIONS. Artichoke Trust. 2018. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019.
  16. McCaffery, Robert (2016). "Whatever you do don't call her a 'craftivist': The art of Jess de Wahls" (pdf). Hand & Lock. No. 2. London. pp. 52–53 – via Issuu.
  17. Ronner, Abby (12 May 2017). "'SHE INSPIRES' at a Massive Exhibition That Pays Homage to Important Women". Vice.
  18. "Jess de Wahls, enfant terrible of textile arts, in Katoomba exhibition". Blue Mountains Gazette. Katoomba, NSW: Australian Community Media. 18 May 2018. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  19. "Jess De Wahls | [Reception] Feminist Fiber Art Exhibit". Boston Hassle. 9 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  20. "Feminist Fiber Art Exhibition". Scout Somerville (magazine). 26 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015.
  21. "New art in the stairwell exhibition". W+K London. 28 March 2017. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  22. AFP (1 April 2019). "Embroidered genitalia turn textiles into feminist art". New Straits Times. Kuala Lumpur. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  23. Barnes, Sara (18 October 2017). "Take a Look at Jess de Wahls' "Big Swinging Ovaries"". Scene360. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  24. "Women are turning to Embroidery as a form of Resistance". COOLS. 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  25. Redmond, Adele (24 June 2021). "Arts company says 'art should be a safe space for debate' amid transphobia row". Arts Professional.
  26. Bakare, Lanre (23 June 2021). "Royal Academy of Arts apologises to Jess de Wahls in transphobia row". the Guardian. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  27. Lawrence, Ben (4 November 2021). "The young-vs-old divide is threatening our arts institutions". The Telegraph. UK. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021.
  28. Greenberger, Alex (23 June 2021). "London's Royal Academy Apologizes to Artist Accused of Transphobia". ARTnews. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021.
  29. Whitworth, Damian (22 June 2021). "Jess de Wahls: Death wishes and fear after the Royal Academy cancelled me". The Times UK. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
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