COLLECTIVE WEAVE
This project addresses the cultural and systemic pressures that prioritise speed, productivity, and perfection over care and rest. In both life and the fashion/textile industry, the relentless drive for growth often leaves little room for slowness and curiosity. Choosing to work slowly and intentionally becomes an act of resistance against these norms, creating space for connection to oneself, to the environment, and to the materials at hand. This concept is framed through the lens of Wabi-Sabi philosophy and slow craft practices; my work seeks to reframe “productivity” by valuing the hands-on process over perfection.
Textiles are my chosen medium because they offer a tactile, sensory, and emotional form of storytelling. Audiences can see, touch, and even smell the work, experiencing the time and care embedded in each material. By presenting a range of fabrics and mediums throughout Melbourne, people are invited to interact, learn, and reflect on what it means to choose slowness. I aim to explore how art and sensory experiences can influence and challenge prevailing norms. The work will be documented through photographs of the artefacts in different environments, capturing how they transform over time through human touch and environmental interaction. These sensory encounters encourage reflection, inviting audiences to slow down, embrace imperfection, and reconsider their relationship with textiles. Participant feedback will be gathered via surveys, providing insights into human connections and beliefs.
This project addresses not only the environmental impacts of fast fashion, resource depletion and waste, but also the psychological and cultural effects of a system that associates worth with constant output. By engaging people in hands-on making and storytelling, the work proposes an alternative approach rooted in care and connection, offering collaboration in unique and unexpected ways.
Moments of care and connection...
Fitzroy Public gallery
This booklet presents the research and insights behind Collective Weave, highlighting the process, reflections, and outcomes of the project.
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