Art Statement
Through visually diverse, labour-intensive installations, Cleary examines the representation of women as autonomous agents navigating systemic oppression. By foregrounding themes of gendered injustice, her work invites critical reflection on the socio-political forces that shape women’s lived experiences and visibility. Cleary’s practice confronts the widespread influence of misogyny in contemporary culture and advocates for safe, equitable environments. She explores the ways trauma lingers and inscribes itself onto both physical and psychological spaces, leaving lasting traces that reshape environments over time. Her practice combines sculpture, textiles, embroidery, drawing and installation to materialise these traces, transforming them into tactile narratives of resilience and remembrance.
At its core, her practice challenges patriarchal structures and interrogates the complex dynamics of gender, power, and agency. Through acts of reclamation and critical storytelling, she aims to contribute to a broader conversation on how art can both confront and heal the collective memory of violence.
Ultimately, Cleary reclaims traditional craft, and the domestic sphere as tools of agency and defiance; amplifying women’s stories within contemporary visual culture.
