Women and the Silkworm, Soufli, Greece
My research journey to Soufli, the historical center of Greek sericulture (silk farming), was inspired by an oral account that women once kept silkworm eggs in their bosom to accelerate hatching, as body heat provides the ideal incubation temperature. This tradition led me to explore the deep relationship between women and silk production, both in domestic sericulture and industrial silk processing.
Since the 17th century, major silk-producing centers in Europe established a global division of labor, shaping the international silk economy. In Greece, silk farming remained a domestic, family-based activity, largely unchanged by technological advancements, while silk spinning and weaving evolved through industrialization. Both in silk farming (raising silkworms) and in the spinning process, women played a central role, making their bond with the silkworm inseparable.
I traveled to Soufli to meet women who had lived through different stages of silk production—whether within households or in factories. Through interviews, I gathered oral testimonies, revealing a deep sense of care and attachment to the silkworm. Interestingly, none of them had witnessed their grandmothers incubating eggs in their bosom; by their time, homes used wooden incubators with heated water compartments and oil lamps. However, they all recognized the practice as authentic and valid, passed down from previous generations.
My artistic response was to revive this ancestral practice through an experiment, exploring the intersection of gender, labor, and material culture. As part of my research, I listened to memories of silk cultivation, factory work, and female relationships in the workplace. Some women recalled this labor as a harsh, exhausting experience, while others cherished it as a social network, strengthening their sense of belonging.
Among the women I interviewed:
Angeliki Giannakidou, president of the Ethnological Museum of Thrace, provided insight into the region’s silk heritage.
Matoula Demertzis, a local resident, shared how her mother’s silk farming shaped their daily life.
Pagona Manavi, the only contemporary silkworm farmer in Soufli, discussed the challenges of modern silk production.
Pepi Mourika, a former silk worker at the Tzivre factory, described the difficulties of unraveling silk cocoons and the bond between female workers.
Matina Lekka, a member of the Chrysallida Association, emphasized the material culture created through silk traditions.
Koula Tsiantouka, another Tzivre factory worker, spoke about the impact of sericulture on personal lives and the town’s development.
The interviews and research findings were incorporated into my video work “Korfos”, documenting the symbiotic relationship between women and silkworms, an entanglement that not only shaped gendered labor structures but also contributed to the region’s cultural identity and material production.
year
2022










