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The First Stitch - 'Conflicts of Identities' project MA year

* The First Stitch

'The First Stitch, (2021)' represents the two shirts sewn by Hien's mother. They were one of the few things her mother was able to take with her when Hien’s family fled their home country because of war. Clothing is not frivolous. It can reveal a true reality, lived experiences that surround our bodies, our lives, our identity. It helps us to create memories that are important to us. Threads and seams explain how her mother managed to fix one of the ripped shirts with what little they had in the refugee camp in the Philippines. These shirts evoke lived experiences, the origins of her culture and at the same time reveal her Vietnamese identity. The fabrics used to make the shirts were made in Vietnam and so she can boast that these two pieces of clothing represent the authenticity of a lost but not forgotten identity.


“Hien’s mother portrait”
The portrait of Hien’s mother done by a sewing machine recalls the image of a young Vietnamese woman deeply immersed in her thoughts. The long black threads are deliberately sticking out of the canvas as a depiction of the long, straight hair that young Vietnamese women traditionally have. (Size: 25x35.5x1cm)







“Ao Dài”
The country's national garment Ao Dài is the symbol of Vietnamese national identity. Ao Dài literally translated into English means a long dress. And it is used on special occasions by men and women, but mainly by women, and it is famously recognized internationally. On one of Hien’s trips, she had the opportunity to get one tailored and today she keeps it with great affection along with her two precious shirts sewn by her mother. (Size: S)


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Location: Ireland

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