‘Moments to Myself’ is Marcia Bennett Male’s first solo exhibition of her textiles works: until now she has primarily been known as a sculptor and stone carver. The title of the show is meant to speak to anyone who finds it hard to find time when they can fully be themselves.
The work on show covers a wide spectrum of concerns, from the depiction of Black women both in history and myth, as well as a more personal perspective on Black female mental health in relation to contemporary society. Marcia utilises chintz curtains or tablecloths bought from charity shops to represent England where she was born, brought up and lives, and juxtaposes these with the distinctive Dutch/African wax print fabrics that function as a shorthand for her Afro-Caribbean background.
An example of this diversity of subject matter includes the piece Twenty Twenty Two, which centres on a Sisyphus Beetle, a long-legged relative of the Dung Beetle. It was named after the king Sisyphus, who in Greek mythology was damned to forever roll a boulder up hill in the depths of Hades – a feeling we can all relate to at the beginning of a new year. Another work Everyone is Equal in the End depicts the Egyptian goddess of death and mourning Nephthys. In this latter example – as is often the case in Marcia’s work – it’s in the title that the real message resides.
Marcia’s work was recently featured in the January 2022 edition of Embroidery magazine and on the online blog for contemporary embroidery and needlecraft Mr X Stitch. She was also recently involved in an online conversation with textile/quilt artist Jessica Ogden for UAL, Chelsea College of Art & Design, which can be found on YouTube.