The Trace Between Us

I am interested in garments as quiet records of lives and moments that have passed. They carry visible traces of use, while also holding memories, habits, and experiences that may gradually fade. I will invite three to four people to bring a garment that they no longer wear but have kept. A garment may be kept because it no longer fits, has become outdated, or carries stains or signs of wear. Yet something kept is not necessarily something remembered; over time, a garment may simply become forgotten.

Thai pha khao ma will become a key material in this transformation. A versatile woven cloth deeply embedded in everyday life in Thailand, pha khao ma has traditionally been used in many practical ways, carrying traces of ordinary life across generations. I will draw threads directly from the pha khao ma and use these threads as embroidery thread, stitching them into each garment by hand. Pieces of the pha khao ma itself may also be introduced into the garments through embellishment. By bringing a material rooted in Thai everyday life into contact with garments and personal histories in Sydney, I want to create a quiet cross-cultural dialogue between two lived contexts, while allowing the existing traces of each garment to remain visible.

I have long been fascinated by the form of the eye and by exploring it in different contexts. In this project, I will paint eyes directly onto stains, marks, and imperfections found on each garment, allowing these traces to determine where the eyes appear. The painted eyes will become points of connection between the existing traces of the garment and the new interventions made with pha khao ma.

The completed garments will be mounted individually on frames. Through this process, I want to explore how clothing can hold personal memory while also recording aspects of lived culture — what people wear, keep, remember, and eventually forget.