The Unknown Widow
created by Sacha de Wit
performance by Kirshy McAinch
curated by Tanja Johnston
The Unknown Widow
“The themes explored in Sacha de Wit’s artwork resonate profoundly with the spirit of Atatürk’s words and the enduring bonds between our nations”
In the Great War of 1914-18, Australia lost more than 61,000 who died in Europe and the Middle-East. Following the war, families of those who had died were invited to write an epitaph to be included on the headstones of their loved ones.
The constraint on families was that the epitaph was to be no more than 66 characters, or less than half of a modern tweet.
The Unknown Widow is a commemorative project inspired when learning of this process, and reflecting on the challenge that families must have felt in writing a permanent memorial to the love, life and loss of their loved one, an Australian soldier of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
Of those who died, some 18,000 have no known grave. For their families they did not have the opportunity to write an epitaph. This includes the family of The Unknown Soldier now buried in the Hall of Memory in the Australian War Memorial.
About Sacha. Sacha is the creator of The Unknown Widow. She is a Royal Australian Navy veteran, and Veteran Artist with her own creative small business, Draw Stitch Smile, based in Brisbane.
His Excellency Mr Ufuk Gezer Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye
About Kirshy. Kirshy McAinch is a Royal Australian Navy veteran, and Veteran Artist, who collaborated with Sacha in the production of The Unknown Widow to provide the performative element of the work. During the performance, Kirshy is The Unknown Widow who sings a song from the wartime / post war period. Kirshy is also the principal of a special needs school in regional Victoria.
About Tanja. Tanja Johnston is ANVAM’s founder, Head of Arts Programs and Head Curator. She is a family member in the Veteran, Community and Veteran Artist, who has supported the development of The Unknown Widow and the presentation of the work as a flexible installation at various sites. Tanja has led the touring component of the exhibition to Canberra, metro and regional Victoria, South Australia and into Queensland.
The Unknown Widow is an installation of 66 embroidered handkerchiefs, each with a unique original epitaph written by a family for their loved one.
The embroidery design on the handkerchiefs was inspired by the features on the WW1 Widows Badge including the scroll on the top bar and the star for each loved one lost during the war.
The Unknown Widow was launched during the 2025 Festival Of Veterans Arts (FOVA) in Melbourne and has toured through the following exhibitions:
ANVAM’s 8th annual March to Art: Together exhibition (21 March - 24 April 2025)
Victorian Premier’s Anzac Day Commemorative Luncheon (10 April 2025)
Loddon Valley Arts Festival, Pre-festival event (28 September 2025)
Loddon Valley Arts Festival exhibition & performances (3-5 October 2025)
Penola Coonawarra Arts Festival, Penola RSL (15-17 May 2026)
Turkish Embassy, Canberra (11 November 2025)
Shrine of Remembrance, Sparks in the Dark (August 2026 - August 2027)
ANVAM Remembrance pop-up (1-19 November 2026)
United Services Club Queensland Remembrance Day Dinner, Brisbane (11 November 2026)
Abridged pop-up installation at the Premier’s Anzac Day Luncheon alongside the honour board with the name of Sergeant William Montgomery, whose story inspired The Unknown Widow.
The Unknown Widow received a Saluting Their Service grant contributing to the project and supported by the Wayward Women Giving Fund.