Lila Chatfield
Transitional Forms
Textiles
2022
I became a mother in 2018 and the experience has changed me profoundly. Whilst making this quilt, I felt a deep sense of history and connection to ancient life forms. The piece feels quite complicated to me which makes sense given how extraordinary and life changing bringing children into the world has been for me.
I became a mother in 2018 and the experience has changed me in profound ways that I never imagined. After such a life changing event, I have reflected deeply on my place in my family, in my wider network and in the world. At times I have become so engulfed by my children and their needs that I wasn’t sure who I was anymore. I didn’t have time to read, connect with friends, explore my passions or find out what I wanted to do with my life. I made this wall hanging to physically map out my thoughts on my place as a mother over the past four years.
There is an outline of my body filled with pieces that represent my sons and the fact that their cells still live in my body after pregnancy (a phenomenon called micro-chimerism). Viewers will notice a scattering of squares which are there to represent the people who have helped me on my mothering journey. I added embroideries of ammonites because they are considered ‘transitional forms’ in evolutionary terms and remind me of coming from a long line of creatures that don’t look much like me but are still a part of me and came well before me. The quilted lines are reminiscent of topographical lines which I added as a nod to Dorset and the Jurassic Coast where I was born. I felt a deep sense of history and connection to ancient life forms when making this, and the piece feels quite complicated to me which makes sense given how extraordinary and life changing bringing children into the world has been for me.
