Domestic thresholds set boundaries between private and public, as well as denote lines of safety—sometimes found inside the home, sometimes outside of it. This work reflects Schapiro’s ongoing exploration of femmage – a term she coined with fellow artist Melissa Meyer which refers to the gendered practice of collecting, saving, and repurposing scraps. Amongst the defining characteristics of femmage, Schapiro and Meyer include: “a woman-life context,” “covert imagery,” “a diarist’s point of view,” “drawing and/or handwriting sewn into the work,” and “silhouetted images,” all of which are present in this mixed-media painting’s reflection upon the personal and the political. Schapiro deploys femmage to explore complex gender dynamics as they appear inside and outside of domestic contexts—or, as this title suggests, within and without “our home.” Faux cross-stitch doilies announce “Mother’s Day” and “Bread” while patchwork fabric teapots, houses, and hearts float around a central figure: a dress with a visible womb, and a curled fetus.

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