Liv Kidston

Soft, Strange and Seen is a collection of embroidered self-portrait dolls that externalise the intensity of living with ADHD and what it feels like to exist within my body. My neurodivergent experience is both method and subject, as fast-paced, chaotic stitching becomes a visual language that traces the rhythm of my thoughts, transforming the movement of mind and body into feminist storytelling. My mood and focus shape the sewing, altering tension and puckering the fabric, accumulating visual data that reflect both the turbulent speed of thought and the compulsive rhythm of stitching. 

These figures map a process of learning to take up space, unmasking and owning identity. They are unapologetically nude, monstrous and joyous, staring back with defiance and delight. Each doll is charged with energy exaggerated by scale, declaring presence and inviting viewers to see difference not as disorder but as valid and valuable.