.jpg)
Stacey aka Curious Sleuth describes herself as a story-threader, craftivist, and yarn graffiti artist. If that doesn't grab your attention, perhaps the statement for her solo exhibition Blossoms Not Bullets at Melville's Stokvel Gallery (Sun, Oct 6 – Sun, Oct 20, 2024) will: "A craftivist's love letter to humanity in response to weaponised games people play."
Or maybe you remember the colourful crochet, knit, and embroidered creations that popped up around The Wilds during Covid-19. That project, called Garden of Yarns, was spearheaded by Stacey, where fellow crafters got together virtually to foster connections in uncertain times and beautify their environment.
In a world that seems to trade on sensationalist news stories and where keyboard warriors run rampant, Stacey's chosen means of craftivism – or handcraft activism – is a fitting antidote.
Stacey's yarn works have appeared far and wide, from Joburg to New York. As for her moniker, the artist says, "I'm no Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Nancy Drew. Yet, all these fictional detectives have a penchant for sleuthing, just like I do. Besides being a curious sleuth at (he)art, exploring interestingness is my side gig. My curiosity holds an eagerness to know and learn, gifting me wow-worthy moments I’m grateful for. So, Curious Sleuth is my tagger moniker as a yarn graffiti artist, describing me better than any professional title in my bio ever could."
We spoke to Stacey about threading stories, why hand-making matters, and her relationship to the city – including the Joburg treehouse she's most keen to commandeer.
"Joburgers have a collective wisdom born from [the city's] provocative complexity."
Why craftivism?
Multitudes of possibilities embody yarns of thread and story. Their transformation from fibril to form is wondrous. Handcrafting has become a vital form of mindfulness practice, creativity, and expression, and I’m intent on passing on my knowledge. Storytelling, or story-threading as it is for me, offers a platform to reflect upon life lessons from lived experiences in my collection, Our Yarns are Tellers of Us. I’ve always felt deeply about issues that touch me and my community, so being an activist came naturally. In the pursuit of fuelling change for the good, craftivism is my vernacular to share, activate, and connect.
What was your first act of hand-made resistance?
I think it was when I learned to crochet at the age of nine, and spent hours making granny squares rather than doing my school homework! I also was a rebel freestyler, not knowing how to read a pattern back then, and preferring to make up my own stitches.
How did your love affair with yarn begin?
I have a lifelong passion for handcrafting handed down over generations. I learnt to knit, embroider, and crochet at a young age. It was when I sat next to a granny and mimicked her every move, that I was wholeheartedly hooked on crochet which is my favourite technique.
Photo: Anthea Pokroy.
"Craftivism is bridging work, and it is important to me that bridges do not sew or sow division."
What makes handcrafts such a fitting antidote or counter to our digital-centric times?
The handmade stitch survived threats to its existence during the Industrial Revolution and thrived beyond it as handcrafters continued to value the slow culture of handmade in opposition to mass production. Now, as Generative AI gains momentum, we all need antidotes to the virtual realities of our digital-centric times. Handcrafting offers us mindfulness practices that presence us in the tactility and materiality of real life which is vital for our survival, healing, and connection to each other – beyond pixels on a computer monitor.
Your work resists polarising ideologies. Why is this an issue close to your heart?
As a craftivist, I am a bridge, bridging liminal spaces by threading collaborative and inclusive dialogue despite dissent. Craftivism is bridging work, and it is important to me that bridges do not sew or sow division. A bridge threads healthy connections in tribes that marvel at our differences. We are one humanity.
Craft groups are circles of rEVOLutionary care where we co-create not only with our hands but with our hearts too. They are safe spaces to thread connections with kindred spirits and cultivate friendships. There’s a sense of reciprocity, generosity, and compassionate dialogue through our threads. Veteran crafters love to share their knowledge with newbies. Fibre handcrafts are portable, and we can make our artefacts anywhere from planes to restaurants that have the capacity to connect us to strangers-no-more.
My life is indelibly marked by the ethos of craftvism and the activations, interventions, and installations I’ve inspired in communities worldwide. The process of collaborative creation sews fellowship. I’m grateful to have met many craftivists through yarns that are tellers of us all. My life has become enriched by the stories I have been privileged to observe, witness, and be entrusted with.
Home is…
At this stitch in time, my hope of home is to adventure as a digital nomad meeting more handcrafting communities worldwide and learning from their unique handmade stories. So, home is a welcoming nest where I can settle comfortably (and find some delicious chocolate that I’ve never tasted before!). Joburg is my home base as I have friends and family here.
What is a surprising thing people might learn about Joburg by having a conversation with you?
Joburg’s hustle embodies a mixology that may leave us raw at times. Yet, there are pockets of wondrous welcoming that soften the concrete of this urban cityscape. Joburgers have a collective wisdom born from its provocative complexity. This contrast fuels the creative ideation of a curious sleuth’s artistry.
Your favourite Joburg suburb, and why do you choose it?
Rosebank is cosmopolitan, energised, and has an outdoor vibe that’s walkable and inviting.
Photo: @theamazingmadamf.
What three things should a visitor not leave Joburg without seeing or experiencing?
The outdoor graffiti gallery under the highway bridge in Newtown where graffiti artists showcase their vibrant artworks. A walk in Delta Park when the carpets of cosmos are in blossoming bloom. Watching a golden African sunset from the top of Northcliff Hill.
Your favourite Joburg author or favourite Joburg book?
The Compassionate Activist: Transforming the World from Within by Lucy Draper-Clarke.
One song on your Joburg soundtrack that either is about Joburg or makes you think about this city?
Pata Pata by Miriam Makeba.
The most memorable meal you have eaten in Joburg?
The delicious chicken wrap at Reserved Café [in Melville]. The chef puts a lot of love into making and presenting it.
If you could buy one Joburg building which would it be?
There’s a tree house near Hugh Wyndham Park that I’d love to inhabit. It’s full of interestingness as those that play there hang different things on the surrounding branches of the majestic tree it calls home.
If you were Joburg's mayor for one day (average tenure), what would you change?
I’d limit the amount of repetitive [blasts] a taxi driver hoots to attract passengers, especially during peak traffic times when the noise is accelerated.
Favourite Joburg label, and why?
Jozi. Unique local lingo.
What makes someone a Joburger?
Their knowledge of the local lingo.
What do you love most about Joburg?
Its capacity for resilience.
What do you least like about Joburg?
The relentless pace is at times exhausting.
Your number one tip for a first-time visitor to Joburg?
Be open to exploration.
"Joburg’s hustle embodies a mixology that may leave us raw at times. Yet, there are pockets of wonderous welcoming that soften the concrete of this urban cityscape."
One Joburg personality whom you would honour with the Freedom of the City if you could, and why?
The fruit and veg seller on the street corner. Gogo is there every day from sunrise to sunset, and works hard to earn a living. She always gifts me a smile as I walk past.
The perfect weekend in Joburg includes...
Taking a long, slow walk on a street lined with the purpleness of jacarandas.
Three words that describe the city.
Cosmopolitan, interesting, challenging.
Check out some of our previous #MyJoburg interviews for more insights into the city:
#MyJoburg with Hannelie Coetzee, artist and placemaker
#MyJoburg with Flo Bird, heritage hero
#MyJoburg with Ufrieda Ho, author and journalist
Comments