CAILLEACH

This work, the third commissioned piece for the Scottish Feminist Judgments Project, explores the transformative power of adopting another identity, and the influence such a ritual might have on perspective.

Cailleach -meaning the Divine Hag in Gaelic folklore- was inspired by the mask of rebel Covenanter, Alexander Peden. Peden’s mask is made from leather and fabric with an attached beard and wig made from real human hair, it also features teeth and feathers. The symbolic act of concealing his facial features allowed Peden to preach illegally about the religious and political changes Charles II had imposed in Scotland. Cailleach plays on the idea that being absolved from personal consequences through an act of concealment could lead an individual to act in a different way. If Judges were unburdened by the need to uphold their own reputations and preserve the institutional status-quo could they feel more able to reach other, more feminist, conclusions about cases they review? Traditionally, the concealment of identity is synonymous with dubious moral objectives, Cailleach subverts this supposition and suggests that concealment and artifice can be something beautiful.

Nylon cord, soft tulle, embroidery thread, cotton tape, cut glass - 2019