Portia Marie York

Bras of Beauty
Exploring unique avenues that express the beauty and spiritual essence of the scars that plague breast cancer warriors, and the travail these warriors must endure, ignited Bras of Beauty. Objects of crocheted breath-taking yet sensual bras designed to lift the mask of shame caused by the loss of one or both breasts, the loss of hair, nails, and the change of skin color; the perceived loss of femininity. The visual presentation invites conversations about cancer, breasts, image, femininity, beauty, and the impact of breast cancer on all women, but more specifically brown skinned women who are often deficient in resources and left out of the dialogues.  The creation process of Bras of Beauty entailed merging detailed crochet stitches and designs using many textures and weights of yarn and other media applied to fabric to construct a piece of art that is not only visually alluring, but also advocating for awareness of a cause that affects the lives of 1 in 8 women in the United States. These intricately woven and stitched bras offer hope and a feeling of femininity, of beauty.  These Bras of Beauty celebrate women that have survived breast cancer, as well as those who have not.