my name is carmen. i dream in a space called laceverse. it’s where i experience the threads connecting everything. lace horse is a collection of things i draw from that world.

crochet lace was the primary livelihood of my Romani grandmother. she was a travelling woman who sold her creations at markets and door-to-door to sustain her large family. my Finnish great grandmother fought to get a handcraft education that secured her a job in a hat making shop after the second world war. she made crochet lace throws and gifted them to family members as heirlooms.

i learnt crochet as a little girl but it took a lockdown until i picked it back up. the skill skipped my mother’s generation because time evaporated. this coincided with a period in Western history where appreciation for craft, especially women’s handwork, was at an all-time low.

hand made lace holds time in an intricate way. the skills are passed on hand-to-hand. each piece represents weeks or months of the makers movement, touch and attention. in touching lace you’re touching an exponential woman’s touch.

lace horse is a portal to reclaim time and appreciation. it’s a continuation of my grandmothers’ work.