Cut parts made of bleached viscose and cotton yarn – approx. 120 cm x 60 cm | 2020

Inspired by the zeitgeist and supported by the current situation, this work deals with the topics of the environment, reuse and the Japanese concept of mottainai.

(Japanese: もったいない or 勿体無い) is a term of Japanese origin that has been used by environmentalists. The term in Ja panese conveys a sense of regret over waste; the exclamation „Mottainai!“ can translate as „What a waste!“ Japanese environmentalists have used the term to encourage people to „reduce, reuse and recycle“, and Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai used the term at the United Nations as a slogan to promote environmental protection.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mottainai

How can you create something new with the help of old things?
How can you transform used things into something new?
Which innovative materials can you design with superfluous, already existing ones?

… with this in mind, old, disintegrated fabric was transferred into a compact surface in a lengthy, meditative process. Guided by the fabric’s weaknesses and points of rupture, a new surface and feel was created. A dress that I had made (sewn and bleached using the Shibori technique) had slowly disintegrated due to its age, material and processing technique. It was then taken apart into individual pattern pieces, laminated onto wool fabric and repaired, whereby the activity went beyond mere repair. With the help of the Japanese techniques BORO and Sashiko, the look and feel are transformed so radically that a completely new object is created, which only reminds of the original element and thus forms the basis for a new piece of clothing, a coat.…