Windows No. 3 - Self Portrait

Artwork is ready to hang - attached with velcro to wood hanger with screw eyes and wire

FINALIST (Highly Commended), Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize 2018
FINALIST, Heallreaf 2, International Exhibition Of Woven Tapestry 2017 (UK)
FINALIST, 2017 Tatiara Art Prize

‘Windows No. 3 – Self Portrait’ is based on one of my own x-rays, and is an alternative interpretation of the traditional artist self portrait.

The x-ray was accidentally invented in 1895 by German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. The ability to view the body from the inside, extended the scope of understanding of the internal workings of the physical body. It also provided a unique perspective on the human race; inside we ultimately all constructed the same way.

When looking at x-rays, it is not obvious the race, sexual orientation or personality of the subject – our biological make-up is more similar than not. We really are equal in the eyes of nature. There is less judgement on whether the subject is conventionally attractive, or conforms to society’s expectations.

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Michelle Driver is a South Australian artist working exclusively in handwoven tapestry. Her practice is grounded in slow labour, repetition, and material discipline, approaching tapestry as a rigorous studio practice rather than a decorative craft.

Her work is shaped by queerness, neurodiversity, and lived experience of trauma, and often draws on gothic aesthetics and unsettling narrative. Through weaving, she explores shadow, memory, and the tension between obedience and refusal, revealing beauty within what is overlooked or difficult to name.

Driver’s work has been recognised nationally, including winning the 2016 Port Pirie Art Prize and inclusion in Radical Textiles at the Art Gallery of South Australia.