LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Eight years ago, Louisville photographer Clay Cook set off to India with his camera. His trip became the latest exhibit at a Louisville museum.
What You Need To Know
- Photographer Clay Cook and the Anchal Project have partnered to introduce Kentuckians to marginalized women in India
- The women are also artisans and the Anchal Project helps them earn wages so many can escape the sex trade
- Cook's photographs are on display at the KMAC Contemporary Art Museum
- The showcase runs until April 21, 2024
His work tells the story of marginalized women in India. “Stitched in Strength” is on display at KMAC Contemporary Art Museum.
“These portraits and their faces which already have stories embedded within their eyes and their facial structures and how they look,” Cook said.
But the large portraits also tell the journey of socially conscious entrepreneurship.
The women featured are artisans in India using their talents and dedication to make sustainable apparel, bags and home decor.
“There’s a human being behind each of those pieces that make it, and they don’t often have a voice in that process or are not visible,” Colleen Clines, a co-founder of the Anchal Project, said.
Since 2010, the Anchal Project has helped marginalized women to make a fair working wage in a career in design and textiles.
The partnership has allowed 95% of the artisans to leave the commercial sex trade fully or partially.
Clines added, “We want to highlight the artistry behind the pieces that these women create, and really they’re empowering themselves by making these beautiful pieces.”
The human rights group, International Labour Organization, estimates 6.3 million people are forced into commercial sexual exploitation.
Cook said, “I’m proud that I was able to give, you know, Anchal and these women some sort of platform to be, to be able to be given a voice, you know, for their work.”
The photographer said he hopes the exhibit can give Kentuckians further insight into the lives of people across the world.
“I just want to educate people and, you know, give some information and knowledge about these women and just maybe gain a, you know, get perspective into other cultures and other people and how other people live their lives,” Cook said.
The 40 pieces displayed in “Stitched in Strength” work to connect Kentuckians with the artisans.
The exhibition also includes an audio component, allowing the viewer to listen to the featured artisans’ stories.
“Stitched in Strength” will be on display at KMAC Contemporary Art Museum until April 21, 2024.