CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH
to my mother and grandmother.
The generational connection of textiles with the women in my family spans across heritage, history, and identity.
Post the Khmer Rouge regime in what remained of war torn Phnom Penh, CAmbodia; my grandmother became a fabric merchant at the local market from 82’ - 91’, taking on one the of various roles necessary to support her family.
years later throughout my childhood, my mother worked closely with regional artisans who specialised in Cambodian silk; from cocoon to intricately woven fabrics. high quality textiles such as SIlk Ikat ហូល/ចងកៀត were used in garments classed as traditional Khmer / ខ្មែរ clothing.
THis was my introduction to the craft.
In my family’s pursuit for better opportunities, i was ushered to migrate to australia, much like those before me.
I “subconsciously” continued our family’s “profession” by exploring a higher education in Textile Design.
this was what inspired the piece .
a poem supporting
“I have found myself. Have I found myself?
ជាស្រ្តី កូនស្រី កូនខ្មែរ ចៅស្រី
(As a woman, daughter, a Cambodian child, granddaughter)
មកពីខាងណា?
(Where are you from/from which side did you come from?)
To sit between a river, split in two
I am divided yet I am free to choose
Am I free to choose?
I am content - of many places - made of many peoples - taking many forms
Yet you and I are the same;
we are of the same place
your history is my mine, too.
We yearn for each other, knowing where we’ve been,
where we come from.
As women - daughters - sisters - mothers
we carry those before us in our choices; beyond ourselves.
Who we’d hope to be.
I wont be your expectations
As I am, all that I am”
THE PROCESS
It began as an idea to explore traditional textiles, shown in a non conforming manner.
in ways a representation of my upbringings as a third culture kid in my motherland along with the social and technical influences from my expiriences and studies offshore.
SUBJECT 01
FABRIC
SUBJECY 02
SMOCKING
SUBJECT 03
PLEATS
SUBJECT 03
STructure
the fabric chosen was a gift from my mother;
the silk ikat is traditionally worn as a skirt during religious and ceremonial events. although garment designs have transformed over centuries;
the quality in material and craftsmanship symbolises wealth and social class.
in the literal sense of combining western and eastern/south-eastern fabrication techniques, smocking was chosen to explore movement and form.
although texturally exquisite, the contrast from of smocking was too far removed from the essence of idea - to be familiar yet presented differently.
to the current cambodian masses, where traditional alterations in garment presentations are rarely challenged - the intention for the piece to be visually self explanatory was key.
hence the progression towards pleats.
a common way of wearing the skirt/pants “sampot chong k’ben
សំពត់ចងក្បិន”, regardless of gender, was to take the typically 2-3 metres long piece of fabric, wrapped around the waist, then twisted and knotted fastened by a belt.
pleats were preferred as the decorative finish.
Using this feature as a basis, the first step was to separate by cutting the design details of the fabric from its intended presentation layers.
THen shaping three pieces using variant pleat forms (representing the generations between my self, mother, and grandmother), to hand stitching them all together to form the completed sculpture.