Cloth as an Expression of Memory

An item donated to the exhibition “Collecting Loss.” Photo by Justine Latour.

Cloth holds the memory of the person who wore it; it’s the reason why the clothing of someone who has died is often so cherished by their loved ones. Even if these clothes no longer serve a functional purpose to the deceased’s loved ones, they are energetically charged and still resonate with the essence of their wearer. The vintage fashion market is filled with the clothes of people who have passed away, though many people find it hard to part with the personal items from the people they loved.

Image from the exhibition “Memory Cloth” at the Tamworth Regional Art Musem. Photo by Kelly Fuller.

The exhibition Memory Cloth in the Tamworth Regional Art Museum in Australia explores the emotionally retentive quality of fabric from the artist Glanys Mann who says “Cloth holds a memory all the time, it doesn’t matter when you pick it up or how you feel it, there is always a memory that has come from something, or someone.” via

Another art show on textiles concurrently running is Collecting Loss: Weaving Threads of Memory in Gallery 918 in Ontario, Canada. Artist Esther Kalaba and writer Karen Haffey made a public appeal for those to donate the clothes of their loved ones to be deconstructed and refashioned into 11 textile pieces. The works are accompanied by textual and audio clip that document the lives of those who have passed. Kalaba explains that “There’s a great intimacy in this project and this feeling of being invited into people’s experiences, into people’s inner world,” as she reworked the clothing. via

Picture from the exhibition “Memory Cloth” where artist Glenys Mann explores the symbol of a baby’s bonnet. Photo by Kelly Guller.

Further Reading:
More on the story behind Collecting Loss.
The Tamworth Regional Art Museum’s Textual Triennial.
Oakland’s Textile Festival.