The Child Screams in her Mother’s Lap
Globally, women give birth in war zones, refugee camps and in extreme poverty. Conflict, displacement, exile, persecution and hunger are all factors that cause people to seek asylum in places such as the UK. In these circumstances, pregnant women and their babies are particularly vulnerable due to their health needs. ‘The Child Screams in its Mother’s Arms’ highlights this and invites viewers to consider the difficulties experienced by pregnant refugee and asylum seeking women.
Refugee Women Connect is a Liverpool charity supporting refugee and asylum seeking women. Two members of staff, Bex Satchwell and Angela Morrow, plus a service user, Mezkin Khalil provided expertise and insight during the creation of this piece. Inspired by and in collaboration with Mezkin, textile artist Madeleine Famurewa created a crochet hospital scene. Using the technique of Amigurumi - a Japanese style of crochet - Madeleine constructed three dolls shrouded by a dark knitted curtain. The idea of using Amigurumi was based on Madeleine’s visit to The Longest Yarn, a crochet exhibition depicting scenes from D-Day. Each doll is approximately 20cm tall and represents various health carers from Mezkin’s birth experience.
Mezkin shared her experiences of being an asylum seeking woman who gave birth alone during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the difficulties she experienced was not being able to communicate with her caregivers due to language barriers. Good practice suggests that in these circumstance interpreters are used, but these support systems are not always put in place.
Amigurumi is a form of Japanese crochet. It is linked to Japanese kawaii culture which emphasises cuteness, favouring figures that have childlike qualities, such as big eyes and small mouths. (The ‘Hello Kitty’ image is a good example of kawaii). Although it has been around since at least the 1970s, it was the early 2000s that saw an increased interest in the technique. In amigurumi, the artwork is crocheted in rounds and stuffed to create a doll effect. The use of amigurumi in ‘The Child Screams in her Mother’s Lap’ stands in stark contrast to the reality of Mezkin’s birthing experience. The kawaii quality of the dolls draws the viewer in but the scene is overshadowed by the black knitted shroud that forms the backdrop to the piece.