The concept behind Crucibles resonates with thought-provoking poignancy. The combination of materials is visually striking and rich in historical and cultural significance, especially the vintage sewing patterns used as the "skin". These patterns reference a time when women made their own clothes, making a strong connection with traditions of labour and craft, but more symbolically to the subject of autonomy and identity in an era when women's rights were more constrained. The thematic implications traverse contemporary concerns related to gender politics, ageing, body dysmorphia, and the ongoing struggle for equal rights. These themes are alluded to by subtle, sometimes cryptic references. The codified language of "pattern-speak" serves as a muted criticism of intractable forces of constriction, communicating socio-political complexities with nuances that can be overshadowed when expressed with words. The word "Miss" carries weighty socio-political baggage, a term traditionally employed to denote marital availability and second-class status within heteronormative frameworks and the infantilising objectification of women. The word also infers “to fail” or “to be incomplete”, with all its veiled implications. Crucibles is a stoic representation of the ongoing fight for women’s rights, issues which are under renewed threat today. Like entombed, mummified modern-day relics, these seemingly mute artefacts speak to the historical straitjacketing of women by imposed notions of identity rather than as fully realised, autonomous individuals. Finally, this series of works addresses my Greek heritage. The reference to the Caryatids is a potent one. As punishment for their resistance, Caryatids had to shoulder the weight of the Acropolis roof—an effective metaphor for the burden placed on women throughout history, a classical example of the struggle for female autonomy that spans centuries.