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Jose Basil C. Malicsi, The University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, PhilippinesAbstract
This practice-based study investigates hand sewing as a form of memory work and textile installation as a means of memorializing the life and creative influence of my grandmother, a seamstress whose practice shaped my identity as a fashion designer. The study documents the creation of forty-two hand-stitched collage tapestries and a house-like installation made from retasos, or fabric remnants, accumulated through my fashion design practice. A reflective three-phase process—pre-production, production, and post-production—guided the gathering, arranging, stitching, journaling, installation, and interpretation of the work. During the installation opening at Imahica Gallery, more than thirty visitors entered the work and twelve returned brief feedback forms. Their responses repeatedly connected the sewing machine, dining area, altar, garments, threads, and other domestic elements with memories of grandparents, parents, childhood homes, family values, faith, and loss. The findings suggest that familiar textile and domestic materials can operate as mnemonic prompts through which an autobiographical memorial becomes a site of shared remembrance. The paper positions hand sewing as an embodied memory practice and retasos as material fragments capable of carrying personal and cultural associations. It contributes an exploratory practice-based account of how fashion materials and handwork can move beyond garment production into memorial installation, reflective inquiry, and audience memory recall.
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