Hidden Seams

Karel de Grote, Willem van Oranje, Michiel de Ruyter, Napoleon Bonaparte. Looking back on the stories I’ve been told regarding the topic of history, it is safe to say the narratives are predominantly written from the perspective of heroic men. But behind every great man is a great woman, right? However, women have never been centred in historical narratives simply because their actions or work have not been valued the same as men, or they have been written in the shadows of the male individuals.

I see the stories of the women in history as the hidden seams in garments, the essential threads and stitches which are not visible but nonetheless necessary to make sure the whole thing doesn’t fall apart. They are the history of the supporting. They are the ones that care for, protect, nurse and foster. Unconditionally. This is why I feel it is essential to turn these narratives as garments inside out and to weave the missing pieces of the stories of women into the already existing dominating narrative of their male counterparts. Historical writing has systematically excluded women from the official records by focusing on single hero stories instead of the collective power of resisting, insisting and supporting.