Haruka

Modules

Driven by Design

"How can the principles of Italian car design inspire the creation of an innovative fashion piece that combines functionality with aesthetic appeal?"

Summative Product:

Welcome to Stitching the Divide: Threads of occupation, presented to you by Mabel and Halca. We are proud to present to you our summative products, covering the theme of occupation.

Across occupied Japan, Italy, and France, fashion became a form of resistance and resilience. In Japan, women wore monpei; simple, loose work pants, not just for practicality, but also to make themselves less noticeable to the occupying forces. The traditional kimono was no longer practical for daily life, so people began cutting them up and reusing the fabric to make workwear like pants and jackets. In France, women used parachute silk and newspaper to stay stylish despite scarcity, turning deprivation into creativity. Though materials were limited, expression never stopped. From upcycled fabrics to inventive silhouettes, France was insistent on staying a fashion powerhouse. In Italy, women would rebel by wearing more scandalous silhouettes, or even fabrics not made in Italy. The headscarf resembles car culture, as local communities were forced into more industrial roles. This piece honors the spirit of countries under occupation: resourceful, resilient, and still reaching for beauty in the hardest times.

Module: Social Messages

Driving Question: How can art be used to convey a narrative of post-conflict unity whilst addressing a specified aspect of the war's legacy?

The Social Messages Module was an art module looking into the rich history of the Bosnian war. Throughout the 2 months, we looked at all sorts of means of the war and was exposed to all the atrocities and war crimes that were committed. We had a mix of classroom learning times where we mostly learned about history and were out and about the city looking at graffiti and street art to take inspiration from. Each of our summative products are posters we created using all the techniques and learnings we engraved into ourselves.

Rationale:

The Bosnian war was certainly one of the harshest topics I’ve covered throughout my life. The excursions held by the educators in the Social Messages Module changed my views on the city of Sarajevo. Some pros, mostly cons. The people living in bullet-wounded buildings, and children playing in parks with lead still stuck to the grounds were what shocked me the most. Throughout all of these tragedies, what inspired me the most was the determination and resilience that was still left in the people.

Before the arrival of printing and modern designing techniques, visual posters/propaganda were generated through paintings, drawings, and other visual art. These early forms of visual literacy laid the foundation for the development of posters as a medium for communication. Recently, we have seen posters evolve into a diverse and widely used medium with applications far beyond propaganda. They have also been seen as a form of art, often conveying information about an idea, product, or event through mass communication.

The message I wished to convey with my poster was something I found within research on my own. My passion for coffee led me to love the coffee culture of Bosnia. I fell in love with the concept of it being the main way of socialization. However, what I did not expect was how rich the drink was with symbolism. Bosnian coffee was said to be a symbol of resilience and defiance during the siege, representing the determination of the people of Sarajevo to maintain their culture of tradition and retain semblance of life despite the difficult circumstances. Even when facing scarcity and danger, they still found ways to gather and socialize. I was extremely astonished and moved by their determination when I first discovered this and knew I had to have it as my highlighted topic.

The concept was rather simple. To present the resilience and defiance of the people of Sarajevo, I decided to illustrate the mythological immortal bird: the Phoenix. I saw an analogy between the two as the phoenix is generally known for its resilience and defiance, rising from the ashes and retaining the semblance of life. I aimed for the focal point to be the coffee held by the phoenix by adding more detail to that area. The resilience and defiance topic is conveyed through the torn left wing of the phoenix, which is amidst rejuvenation even after severe damage.

In the background, I drew a simple rose that is intended to give a clearer understanding of the Sarajevo rose with the use of positive and negative space to fill in the emptiness of the strong fallow area. The use of symbolism is also included in the poster, with the Sarajevo rose engraved into the coffee table. The font used is similar to what a signboard used in a cafe in Paris would have. “Make Coffee” is presented in heavy cursive to give off a peaceful, almost harmonic message while “Not War” is in bold persuasive font to assert control of my ideologies.

In the making of this poster, I intended to bring the same moving emotions that I felt during my research towards this topic. By merging my artistic knowledge and the rich history this country has provided me with, the piece I created was no doubt an excellent conclusion to my experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Credit:

With all due honesty, my research and discoveries could not have been possible without the support of the educators in the Social Messages Module. I’d like to give my gratitude to:

Adam, Andy & Rachel for the Module excursions, and tasks and for providing me with a bulk of the history

Matt for ideas with my poster and feedback

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