Why I Knit
My practice explores neurodivergent experience through wearable textiles, participatory performance, and large-scale crochet installation. Rooted in hand-knitting, embroidery, and tactile making, my work transforms personal strategies of survival and regulation into shared encounters, positioning textile labour as both sculptural and relational.
As an autistic woman, knitting and crochet are more than creative processes; they are survival tools. For years I have knitted on trains, at work, and in public spaces as a way of navigating overwhelming environments. Each textile work functions as a somatic archive of lived experience, holding within it moments of regulation, resistance, and rest. This embodied practice shapes my current practice, which unfolds through two interconnected components: hand-knitted, embroidered garments that can be worn by audiences, and an expansive crochet installation designed as a sensory refuge. Together they create environments that prioritise touch, slowness, and inclusion, offering temporary embodiments of neurodivergent and chronically ill realities.
Holly Goodridge is a neurodivergent artist working across wearable textiles, installation, and participatory practices. Her work explores neurodivergent embodiment, sensory politics, and collective care, creating immersive environments that invite audiences to slow down, touch, and connect. She has shown across multiple Melbourne-based contemporary galleries including Mailbox Gallery The shape of rest (2025), Bus Projects Shrine to the childhood friendships we wish we had (2024), Assembly Point Wrestling Before the Gateway (2023), and Seventh Gallery, Through the Doorway (2022).
https://www.instagram.com/hollygoodridgeart/
