VISUAL ART
Pussyhat Creator Brings ‘Artivism” Here BY K AT H Y S C H WA R T Z
A P R I L 18 - 2 4 , 2 0 18
| C I T Y B E AT. C O M
The title itself is an Expect to see more attention-grabber: wearers keeping DIY Rules for a WTF watch on politicians World. Then consider before November’s the cover illustramidterm elections. tion of the pink kitty Suh’s book swipes ears that filled the at “the patriarchy,” National Mall in but in our interview Washington, D.C. in she clarifies that she January 2017, when isn’t referring solely more than a million to men. “To me, patriwomen in handmade archy is the idea that caps made “pussy there’s one right way grabs back” their ralof doing something. lying cry. Like those So if you’re a woman, marchers, Krista a person of color or Suh’s book refuses to not the ruling class — be ignored. surprise! — the way The Hollywood you’re doing it is not screenwriter and the right way.” knitter took an idea DIY Rules is written for staying warm and in the conversational in two months turned tone of a BFF, rather it into a worldwide than with the smugmovement known as ness or reserve of Krista Suh The Pussyhat Project. what Suh terms “the A year later, she’s exceptional woman.” PHOTO: RACHEL LEE STROUD written what could Eye-rolling by a skepstand as The Feminine tical reader quickly Mystique for her generation. gives way to feelings of empathy and then During a phone interview, Suh happily empowerment as Suh shares her mistakes and fearlessly accepts being compared to while offering women a toolkit for personal Betty Friedan, author of the groundbreakand global illumination. ing 1963 book that identified for bored “I call it ‘the bad-influence best friend,’ ” housewives “the problem that has no Suh says. Such a woman carries what Suh name.” As she continues her predecessors’ calls the “valid stamp,” ready to help confight for respect, Suh will stop at the Confirm that your seemingly crazy idea is legit. temporary Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on April A pussyhat might sound silly by itself, 25 to sign copies of her own feminist guide, but together they formed an impactful sea subtitled How to Speak Up, Get Creative, of pink. “I think looking at the women who and Change the World. The 30-year-old also came before you, you suddenly realize, ‘Oh, will discuss “artivism.” I’m not just a drop in the ocean, I’m part of Suh slowly changed her personal world a wave that’s going somewhere,’ ” Suh says. when she allowed herself to be creative While she feels a kinship with earlier and have fun. “(Creativity) was certainly leaders like Friedan, Gloria Steinem and marginalized in my life — literally,” she Susan B. Anthony, Suh sets herself apart by says. “I was very much a cliché Asianencouraging today’s feminists to have fun American good girl. I got straight As and I and even be splashy. was pre-med.” But during biology classes Suh says older women who marched at prestigious Barnard College, she found in 1960s and ’70s, plus those who never herself writing poems along the edges of demonstrated before, approach her to say, her notes. “We’ve been waiting for you!” “All through my 20s, I reversed that,” she “Patriarchy is one right way to do somesays. “I started making creativity the main thing,” Suh says. “Creativity means there part of my paper and moved the things are many ways to do something — and you that I wasn’t really, truly interested in into get to choose. I think a woman’s right to the margins.” choose goes beyond reproductive rights. It Suh thinks knitting is perfect for womgoes to how you choose to feel about youren’s protests because crafting is put down self, how you choose to speak up, and how as the “feminine” or “domestic” cousin you choose to get involved. And for some of art. The sexually suggestive pussyhat women, they’ve chosen to be involved via landed on the covers of Time and The New knitting. And I think that’s a really powerYorker because it broke rules. “The content ful statement.” is revolutionary, but the form is really Krista Suh discusses and signs her book revolutionary, too,” Suh says. “They’re both 7:30 p.m. April 25 at Contemporary Arts subversive.” Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown. Free. Her latest fiber project, the evil eye glove, More info: contemporaryartscenter.org. was adopted by gun-control advocates at March for Our Lives demonstrations.
27