Unfinished Hearts, 1977

Su Richardson was a driving force in 1970s British feminist art, using crocheting and other domestic crafts as radical tools of resistance within groups such as Feministo and Fenix. Her work Unfinished Hearts, 1977 exemplifies this strategy, transforming the language of care and household labour into a sharp feminist critique of the roles historically assigned to women. Anticipating later craft-activist movements, Richardson’s subversive humour and reclamation of the notion of ‘women’s work’ opened new pathways for subsequent generations of artists. Today, her work continues to be recognised for its pioneering role within feminist art history, with themes of domestic labour, gender politics and creative resistance remaining highly influential in contemporary artistic practice. More broadly, the tactile immediacy and quiet wit of Richardson’s work has ensured it holds a lasting place within wider narratives of post-war British art.