Ladies Lounge

A wearable art piece in the form of a sculptural jacket, embodying power, femininity, and resistance.

This jacket was created for Kirsha Kaechele’s “Ladies Lounge” court case in Hobart, where women and allies gathered to challenge outdated, patriarchal restrictions. The dress code was navy jackets, red lips, and pearls, turning the courtroom into a work of art. But for me, something was missing.

September 17th, the day of the court case, was also the anniversary of Mahsa Jina Amini’s burial. I couldn’t ignore the connection between this moment and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran. I needed to carry that with me. At 7 AM, just before my flight, I worked with Piers Greville in his studio to screen-print “زن زندگی آزادی” (Woman, Life, Freedom) on the back and sleeves of my jacket. It was a deeply emotional process, I knew this wasn’t just about me. Piers reminded me: "Behind you is not just us, but a monumental cause. You go, go, go."

That day, around 70 of us marched to Tasmania’s Supreme Court. As I entered, security stopped me. “Sorry ma’am, you can’t wear that jacket inside the courtroom. It’s not allowed.” I was stunned. There was nothing offensive on it—just words of freedom. If I had been in Iran, I would have been arrested for wearing it. But this was Australia. I was being censored again.

I refused to take it off. Instead, I joined Betty Grumble and the others outside, transforming protest into performance. Women and allies stood together, moving, breathing, reclaiming space. The energy was electric.

This Jacket is more than fabric and ink. It is a symbol of defiance, solidarity, and the ongoing fight for justice, across borders, across movements, across time.