Immie Ruth Jones
BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
My practice challenges the misdiagnosis of women’s mental health issues being reduced solely to hormonal changes beginning menstruation. This misconception significantly impacts female wellbeing and access to appropriate care. Drawing from my own misdiagnosis in childhood, my fibre art pieces visually express my resentment. Through knit I re-invent the stereotypically ‘womanly’ craft of textiles, featuring unnerving compositions that contrast the tendernesses of soft yarn to emphasise the expectation for women to ‘soften’ their inner turmoil. I hope my pieces empower women to unabashedly express their unease or darkness and find solace in these shared experiences.
I intend for my art to aid the beginning of an open dialogue surrounding the misconceptions regarding women’s health, starting a shift towards an elevation in correct diagnoses. Ultimately elevating mental health stability in women and validating the number of patients whose experiences have been incorrectly put down to hormonal symptoms.
I approach my artistic practice from an autobiographical standpoint, utilising mediums such as knit, sculpture, and illustration. These forms allow me to create tangible representations of my internal monologue and delve into the depths of my psyche. By reworking initial sketches into different mediums, I engage in a therapeutic process that aids the reflection on past turmoil, healing from old wounds, and bringing to light suppressed aspects of myself.
Recurring ‘Rat’ figures in my practice act as a form of personal symbolism, each motif representing different elements uncovered from my unconscious state of mind.
