Kristen Piercey: Unfed Hunger
Eastern Edge is pleased to present a new rOGUE Gallery exhibition: Unfed Hunger by Kristen Piercey! This exhibition will be opening with a reception on June 12th from 6-8pm, and will remain on display in the rOGUE until July 25. There will be plenty of snacks and refreshments at the reception; we hope you’ll join us to celebrate Kristen’s work! Click here to RSVP to the Facebook event.
Unfed Hunger is composed of two doilies laid on individual red tea plates that are coupled together by crochet that spills over each plate and pools to mimic blood. While doilies are traditionally associated with domesticity and care, these doilies are black, turning their inherent delicacy, somber. The plates beneath them consider themes around both communion and sacrifice, evoking the Catholic altar as much as the dinner table.
The crocheted red thread functions as blood, cord, and wound: a fragile connection that insists on closeness while signaling pain. Intimacy here is not seamless or simple; it is strained, negotiated, and physically taxing. The piece reflects on how chronic illness complicates physical touch and emotional vulnerability, turning desire and passion into something that must be meticulously cared for and managed rather than freely expressed and enjoyed. References to Catholicism, such as Eve’s transgression, ideals of purity, and shame around sex, linger throughout and question how religious expectations, particularly involving women, may shape intimacy; especially when the body does not conform to ideals of health, production, or control.
Kristen Piercey is a Newfoundland-based fibre artist with a degree in Fibres and Material Practices from Concordia University in Montréal. Her work explores the self and the ways the body and mind adapt to the circumstances they inhabit. Through this lens, she engages in a wide range of themes, including fat bodies and the experience of living with chronic pain. Working primarily with crochet and embroidery, Piercey also experiments across diverse fibre-based practices. Recently, her practice has focused on doilies, examining their perceived value and how it can parallel experiences of living with an invisible disability.