Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go
Embroidery On the Go

Embroidery On the Go

Hand embroidery on cotton fabric

2016 -

Various dimensions

She’s been embroidering trains and planes on a regular basis since 2016. First and foremost, it is a way to pass time while travelling. When vandalizing, she usually quotes poetry or some literature. She is most fond of becoming a mischief-maker and cherishes this identity. She leaves her spur of the moment embroideries on the train or plane. Her actions are an artistic intervention that expands the meanings of the anarchist embroidery method. 

Mariusz Szczygieł spoke with the artist about vandalism:

— Vandalism – I say – but, for me, excellent vandalism. 

 — There are plenty of different opinions – says Monika Drozynska. — For a long time it was just a pastime, something to do while travelling. People do different things on the train. Some read, some scroll Facebook, others listen to music…. 

 — Meanwhile, you’re lurking… 

 — Because I never know when… I just know that I’m will do some embroidery. When I get on the train, I think about what time of year it is, what day it is, maybe it’s some kind of anniversary, what is the weather like… And I try to embroider a message around that. But mostly I embroider poetry. I stick to it, because that’s what makes me read poetry. So I read and lurk for a convenient moment. 

 — Do you memorize the line? Or is it in the book in front of you, on the train coffee table? 

 — I memorize it, yes, but I also double-check, because I am prone to making a mistake, miss a letter, misremember a word. Anyway, the text for the train must be short. Space on the headrest is scarce. 

 — And so that no one notices you? 

— It think that everyone sees what I’m doing, but people just don’t care. Still, I wait for whomever sits next to me to go to the restaurant cart. They only say terrible things about me online, threaten me with the police. And if they check that I’m actually a mature woman, mother of a grown son, with a PhD and a teaching position, who works in museums, they simply cannot stand it. And it started like this: I was on the train with my son, going to Warsaw for a demo. I saw a headrest above his head and thought to myself: a great piece of fabric for an embroidery. I pulled it down and embroidered the word STRIKE. Tymek asked: Mummy, can you do that? And my response was: you shouldn’t, but you can. 

Wysokie Obcasy, 18.08.2023