The body and the self as her sanctuary – and a battleground. In search of a truce, the work of American artist Lydia Pettit (*1991) oscillates between these two poles. It spans large-format paintings, quilts, finely wrought embroidery, and many stages in between. Paintings are extended or virtually smothered by textiles, while conversely, quilts and fabrics may feature painted segments. Pettit’s work revolves around safeguarding and exposure. Palpability has a special role to play in this context. It is about the actual touching of materials, about the caressing of bodies, including one’s own, but also about being touched in a figurative – and sometimes negative – sense.

This publication offers a survey of works that Pettit created within the last six years, accompanied by insightful essays by Emily Steer and Prano Bailey-Bond, and a statement by the artist.