Pandemic Diary: Garments to Rebuild the World Exhibit

Garments to Rebuild the World

Craft is largely defined as an “[…]activity involving skill in making things by hand”.

As we process the difficult events of this past year, it is my belief that more than ever before, the slow, yet undeniable power of craft can serve as an impactful tool for togetherness, cultural exchange, and both the collective reimagining and rebuilding of a better world.

Following both the guiding principles of handcraft, it is my intention to showcase stories and wearable art garments from all over the world that hold the potential to inspire change for the greater good during these divided times.

This exhibition invited a select group of artists to share their very own wearable art pieces; with the aim of each garment or accessory being to celebrate the rebuilding of a better world post-COVID and onwards.

Whether it be a garment, accessory, or jewelry, participants will also be encouraged to most importantly make do with what they already have.

The event’s ultimate objective is to break division through wearable art and craft, while setting & fostering a dialogue around community, togetherness, and collaboration.

Credits:
Photography: Darina Mohammed // @darinacreative
Models: Carmen van Mulier & Tomo Katsurada

The Exhibition

Images: Exhibition Installation

Video: Tour of the exhibition by Stefania of Io Sono Acqua

“There is something so basic, so natural in the hand that the urge to utilize its power will always make itself felt. Moreover, the chief characteristic of handcrafts is that they maintain by their very nature a direct link to the human heart, so that the work always partakes of a human quality”

– Yanagi Sõetsu

The Artists

Eloïse Ptito-Echeverria

Originally from Montreal, Eloïse Ptito-Echeverria is a textile designer currently based in Amsterdam, NL. Driven by intelligent print and ethical design, she possesses a particular penchant for textiles, embroidery, and colour. After completing her Fine Arts degree in 2011, she lived in Santiago, Chile for a year where she trained in Rococo hand-embroidery and Shibori. She also studied Precolumbian-Andina textiles at l’Universidad Catolica de Diseño.

Sofia Salazar

Sofia Salazar (also known as “Hiedra”) is an Argentinian illustrator and textile designer based in the UK. She is best known for her refreshing wall-hangings and hand-embroidered, made-to- order up cycled garments that employ the tambour and kantan needle method. She has also previously collaborated with JW Anderson and Net-a-Porter on an exclusive capsule collection.

Alexandra Lewkowicz

Based in London, UK, Stewart Francis Easton is a visual storyteller who seamlessly blends thread, ink, and digital media within his art practice. Easton received an MA in Illustration and Animation and has had a number of solo shows in the UK and USA, as well as participating in numerous group shows across both countries. Stewart’s work is unique in that he fearlessly breaks the traditions of craft and narrative through a combination of sound, psychedelic patchwork, geometric stitching, and design-based illustration.

HINOMIHO

Based in Fukuoka, Japan, Miho Hino is an up-and- coming sustainable fashion designer dedicated to innovating the art of up-cycling. After studying fashion design in the UK, she founded her namesake label “HINOMINO”. All garments from this line are produced from repurposed materials, resulting in an exciting array of collage-like pieces.

Léa Stansal

Based in Paris, France, Léa Stansal is a textile artist who consistently creates poetic, enchanting worlds through cloth and craft. Originally trained at the Graduate School of Decorative Arts and Interior Architecture, she worked for 20 years in the fashion world as a stylist before devoting her life to patchwork and embroidery. Free from the constraints of the fast-paced fashion industry, she currently teaches out of her dreamlike atelier—where students are notoriously instructed to not use embroidery hoops under any circumstance. Her work is exhibited around the world and to this day, she has published over half a dozen books.

Stewart Francis Easton

Based in London, UK, Stewart Francis Easton is a visual storyteller who seamlessly blends thread, ink, and digital media within his art practice. Easton received an MA in Illustration and Animation and has had a number of solo shows in the UK and USA, as well as participating in numerous group shows across both countries. Stewart’s work is unique in that he fearlessly breaks the traditions of craft and narrative through a combination of sound, psychedelic patchwork, geometric stitching, and design-based illustration.

Making During A Pandemic

Project Homepage

Go back to the home page to explore more projects, maker’s stories and first steps into craft…

Website: Eloïse Ptito-Echeverria

Find out more about artist and curator Eloïse Ptito-Echeverria’s work and classes…