Stitching Memory: Reconnecting Identity Through Pojagi
This textile piece explores the emotional process of reconnecting with a fragmented cultural identity through the traditional Korean craft of Pojagi. As a British-born Korean, I grew up distanced from Korean traditions and language. Using hand embroidery and fabric dyeing, I created a nine-panel Pojagi from old satin, with each panel embroidered with a native Korean or English flower. These flowers are not literal memories, but symbolic gestures, reaching for connection in the absence of clear stories. Everything was handmade, reflecting the slowness, care, and emotional labour of cultural reconnection. The back of the piece remains intentionally messy to honour the complexity and imperfection of healing. Through stitch, I reclaim a quiet sense of belonging, one made not from nostalgia, but from making, feeling, and remembering in my own way.