Breaking Free through Script (Script from Within)

A Dutch immigrant and former public defender, Marcia Haffmans of Minneapolis, Minnesota, focuses on the loss of freedom and the incarceration of women by incorporating authentic commentary from those behind bars in her art. She obtained personal reflections by distributing a call for submissions to correctional facilities, inviting participants to write any topic of importance to them. “To visualize these unheard voices, I trace fragments of the authentic handwritings of the women through hand-stitching, with needle and thread,” Haffmans said. “Each handwriting sits in a unique sculpture made from synthetic polymers and fibers as a lasting heritage.”