Caitlin Brian

Our belongings tell the stories of our lives – they reflect identity and the presence of a lived-in home. In contrast, the way immigration is portrayed in statistics and mass narratives strips people of individuality, leading to a loss of identity and empathy.

I wanted to challenge this desensitisation and encourage deeper empathy by focusing on the personal and emotional realities of forced displacement, to explore the contrast between distant perceptions and intimate, human experiences – how people are uprooted, forced to pack their lives into small bundles in search of safety, and what is lost and carried in that process.

In my final piece I used weave and basketry to create my outcome which represented these ideas of possession, holding, protection and shelter. I used weave as it represents the interconnectedness of society and the elements that bind us together.

I created a piece that is grounded by the body, but can exist externally to it, and could be a place to hold memories and precious items that speak of home. Recycled and repurposed clothing was corded together before being woven around into a basketry frame. The basketry reinforces the ideas of possession and holding but also makes it portable.