This study examines sewing as a meditative ritual and an installation art practice that memorializes the life and legacy of my grandmother, a seamstress whose craft shaped my identity as an artist and designer. Through the creation of forty-two hand-stitched collage tapestries and a cube-like installation structure, discarded retasos (fabric scraps) were transformed into vessels of memory and healing. The process was structured into three phases—pre-production, production, and post-production—each characterized by ritualized actions that elicited both implicit and explicit memories. The installation, enriched with multisensory elements of scent and sound, invited audiences to recall their own childhood experiences and departed loved ones, thereby extending personal grief into communal remembrance. Viewer feedback revealed strong associations with the reconstructed objects, such as the sewing machine, dining table, and altar, underscoring the installation’s power to evoke familial bonds and cultural traditions. Situated within the discourse of socially engaged art, the work resonates with memorial projects such as the Monument Quilt and the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, while acknowledging Philippine embroidery traditions from the bordaderos of Laguna to the T’boli and Tausug artisans of Mindanao. Ultimately, this study demonstrates how sewing, as both ritual and installation, can transform grief into positive acts of honoring, connecting, and sustaining collective memory.

Authors:
Jose Basil Malicsi, University of the Philippines-Diliman, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Jose Basil Malicsi is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Visual Communication, College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines Diliman. He is also an artist and the founder of Basil, his contemporary RTW fashion label for men and women.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/basilmalicsi/

Additional website of interest
https://www.instagram.com/basilmalicsi_/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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