These Hands
2020 - ongoing
Hands are uniquely human and unique to each human. To look closely at someone’s hand, to touch a hand, is innately personal and intimate. When paired with knowledge and experience they hold immense power and creative freedom. This project was borne from my fascination with hands and the many ways people use them to do and to create in their daily lives. In my life I have been lucky to cross paths with industrious and creative makers who work with their hands intensely. I wondered, who else works with their hands? What are the external and internal experiences of those who work with their hands? What led them to this work? How do traditional roles have an effect on these folks and their occupations? How do their processes vary from person to person? What are the different ways people utilize their hands for work? What kind of physical markers and scars does working with one’s hands leave behind? I wanted to see and document these hands, closely and intimately in their workspace. I began researching folks in the Louisville community who work with their hands on a regular basis both through connections I already have and new connections I would make. Each gallery is a small window into a hand worker’s world. From a weaver who has in-home studio and balances her work with motherhood, to a metalsmith who creates custom pieces for a woman-owned jewelry company specializing in handcrafted, ethically-sourced and sustainably-made fine jewelry, I marvel at the creases, the palm lines, and the fingerprints, inextricably linked to each person and their work. Each has a journey that has led them to this space. Each has a story to tell, that are essential to the work they are passionately exploring.
