DC artist Annie Broderick continues to evolve into a powerful, insightful visionary, especially as she reimagines femininity through art.
Annie Broderick’s wearable art includes “Lighthouse,” worn by Mikeya Kirksey.
All artists have moments where muses arrive from the ether. For DC artist Annie Broderick (@anniebroderickart), it occurred a few years ago in the gym. Her trainer, Luke Dearing, placed a pair of boxing gloves on her hand. “He didn’t ask me if I wanted to learn how to box,” says Broderick. “He just brought the gloves over and put them on my hands. I trusted him. I will never forget that moment. It was transformative. It was a singular moment that marks my own empowerment.”
“Phoenix” worn by Grace Chan
Afterward, Broderick says she scrounged through her studio for scraps of family heirloom lace and linens that had been handed down to her. “I made myself a pair of wearable boxing gloves. I formed them with one hand over the other, stitching them onto my hand, one at a time, using the other hand—out of muslin and embroidery floss.” The result was “Golden Gloves,” an artistic spark that led to a much larger body of work for Broderick: Soulskins: Fit for Kindred Queens, a brilliant breakthrough exhibit this summer at Cody Gallery with a private, one-night show at Longview Gallery in late July supporting Girls Inc. DC (the documentary Within Her Seams, directed by Caleb Hargett, also accompanies the event). The shows also mark the launch of Broderick’s art initiative known as Miss Lou (@misslou.art), which the artist says will reimagine the feminine through art to inspire intuitive power in present and future generations.
Broderick’s work with textiles has always been a graceful blend of the intricate and mighty; they’re mini masterpieces of tenacity. But her new work is a thunderclap of expression.
“Strongwoman” worn by Katie Hoesch
The dresses in Soulskins are crafted from Kevlar, the same material used in bulletproof vests. A curious choice? Broderick explains: “Inside, I am a powerhouse. I am certain, bold, unapologetic, full of fire and love and heart and energy. But on the outside, I don’t always show that. I sometimes default to small, sweet, meek and scared. So, the art helps me become true. It’s a process of self-actualization and walking through fire to show what I’m scared to show. It’s this inside-to-outside transformation and idea of becoming whole—of showing on the outside what exists on my inside.”
“Bulletproof” worn by Ashley Arias
Broderick’s goal was to create dresses that were pieces of metamorphic art while also gorgeous enough for the Met Gala’s red carpet. She dressed women in DC she admires, choosing 12 subjects to visit her studio and share personal stories and, later, take part in a fitting for each garment, which was hand-sewn with Kevlar and contrasting materials. “I wanted [these] women to be beautifully diverse,” she says. “I couldn’t be prouder of this group as a representation of the beauty that’s right here in our community. It’s so amazing that, after having the garment placed on them, more than a few women looked in the mirror and said, ‘I feel like a warrior.’”
“Champ” worn by Chandra Hampton
As for art patrons who visit Broderick’s show this summer, she wants people to feel their inner strength. “I want them to step into this celebration of how we all have it within us,” she says. “If one person walks away feeling emboldened, empowered, moved or emotionally stirred, then I’ve succeeded.” Aug. 6-Sept. 24, Cody Gallery, 1000 N. Glebe Road, 2nd Floor, Arlington, @codygallery
Photography by: TONY POWELL
