‘I am Australian, lived with my lesbian partner in London for three decades, a weaver. I am one of the hidden homeless, unseen older women who suddenly find their lives exploded, stripping away the security, hopes and sense of identity that layer us…
– Susan C
- Title: Unbreakable Reflection
- Artist: Susan C
- Year: 2024
- Medium: Woven from foraged NZ flax, heart stone, coat hanger support, fishing line
I faced homelessness in London after my long-term partner had a psychotic episode. I was given minutes to pack a bag and leave, while my partner locked the door, got on a bus, and left me on the street. In one instant, in absolute shock, I found myself with no place in the world, in both its meanings – no home, no identity, no mooring. No money, no friends, no family: suddenly fear and the overwhelmingly endless possibilities of danger, a huge sense of vulnerability, matched by an enveloping invisibility. Shock, finding resourcefulness, resilience, inner strength. The awareness of the vast uncaring world and individual kindness and help given. The bank let me use their phone, the library the internet, housing helped get an emergency room, I got the last repatriation flight, was quarantined in a COVID hotel which gave me a month to arrange benefits, volunteering, reuniting with family. I rent now but have forever lost the security of ever again having somewhere of my own.
Weaving helped heal me. I wanted to express that fragility and strength through using foraged NZ Flax, which is incredibly strong even when stripped to be fine fibres. Random weave expressed the chaos inside and out, with a defined outline made with cordage. I found the heart stone, including it for a heart solidified in shock, held tight in self-protection. The coat hangers were important reminders of the two in the cupboard in the shelter in London, hanging my only coat, terrified to sleep in case the lock didn’t work. I wanted it to hang and cast shadows, reflecting all that supports us, and that we can all find ourselves in this position.
I feel the resilience, in keeping on, in the sense of moving forward, head lifted, the shoulders pushing forward, while the legs are rooted, frozen in shock, on the verge of movement. One hand protective of the heart, the other bearing the weight of the bag, what it carries precious, a life distilled.
Homelessness affects so many women my age, who at sixty lead a settled life, suddenly uprooted. We remain unseen, and invisible, not included in the statistics; feel unvalued – there is a five-year waiting list and few housing options in regional areas. Sofa surfing, shelters, caravans, renting – I and many others do it all. It could be you.’
– Susan C