My project 'Herstory' looks at the historical treatment of witches and its lasting impact on feminine identity in order to examine gender politics.

During the first half of the fifteenth century, witches were newly redefined figures in Europe’s cultural landscape. Theologians, preachers, lawyers, judges, and physicians developed a set of beliefs about witches’ practices and power. These beliefs were propagated through pamphlets and treatises, emphasising that witches acted as a group. They were believed to be part of a dangerous conspiracy instigated by the Devil against the church and state institutions. Witch-hunts led to the death of approximately 50,000 victims, primarily women, and the persecution, imprisonment, and abuse of many others.¹ According to Silvia Federici’s book, Caliban and the Witch, witch hunts inspire fear in all women. They gave rise to a new feminine model deemed socially acceptable in the developing capitalist society. This model required women to be obedient, submissive, and devoid of sexuality. Women’s bodies were viewed as shameful and sinful, and their roles were restricted to being subordinate to men and solely responsible for reproductive duties, which were undervalued as ‘just their job’. Sadly, the effects of this period continue to be felt, and now affect more people, especially women, in different contexts, such as eating disorders, cosmetic surgery.²

In some parts of the world, practising witchcraft and calling yourself a witch remain illegal. In Saudi Arabia, you can still face the death penalty for being a witch. Fawza Falih was beaten and beheaded in 2006 for allegedly practising witchcraft. In India, some women have been labelled as witches and then forced by their husbands to leave their homes and possessions, whilst others simply disappear. Enforced exorcisms of witches still occur in Africa, particularly among teenage girls. When women go through puberty or experience peri-menopausal symptoms, their families often believe demons have possessed them.³ Negative media portrayals of witches as hag-like figures who can levitate and use wands to harm others also contribute to this belief. The stories we grow up with about witches being in league with the devil and a danger to those around them further perpetuate these harmful beliefs.⁴

Therefore, we must learn from the past and inform the future by exploring the context of the witch-craze with other scholars. Lisa Lister, a writer and third-generation witch, for example, aims to educate people about witches and clear up common misconceptions. Her work encourages women to embrace their innate power, reflected in their connection to nature and expressed through their passions, creativity, and intuition. Until the nineteenth century, she explains, women were often denied the opportunity to write, and as a result, ‘His Story’ was often written by the victors.⁵

For my project, I apply an act of pairing, bending, folding, casting and collecting and I juxtapose ephemeral objects with solid ones, in order to create a display that draws upon the rituals of witchcraft. My aim is to instigate a discussion regarding contemporary expressions of witch hunting, and to examine the metaphors and symbols related with witches through objects.