Project and Exhibition Review: I AM NOT ALONE—Embroidering Self-Portraits of Vulnerable Immigrant Women

Abstract

Abstract This article is a review of the Active relationships II project and the exhibition I am not alone, supported by the International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) from Slovenia. The exhibition event was the culmination of a three-year project focusing on the well-being and integration of migrant women. Oloop Design was using textile art and design as a means of personal and collective empowerment in the project. It has discovered the value of making embroidered self-portraits as a meditative, self-explorative, recovering and reflective activity. The exhibition I Am Not Alone featured 36 embroidered portraits and demonstrated the positive impact of textile design on the well-being and quality of life of the immigrant women.