Through all the moving I have done, there was one object that made the cut everytime and that I brought with me to the Netherlands.

An unfinished scraf I strated to knit at the age of 7.

What is my relationship to this scarf? I think I cheris this piece of unfinished work as it acts as a portal to a place of vulnerability.

LITERAL MENDING

For who was this scarf?

Why a scarf?

I started it for my stuffed toy as a way of showing my appreciation to him. It was my favourite toy and I see him as part of my family. He has traveled with me everywhere I go and is my way of feeling a sense of "HOME".

I say "HOME" because ive never recognised myself to be of one country and always as the outsider. So I have had to redefine what it means to me.

My Grandparents on my mothers side, coming from Portugal, and on my fathers side, coming from Italy, migrated to Brazil. My parents being born in Brazil and raised as such, later migrated to Portugal where they had my older brother and I. All together we then moved to Brazil leaving Europe. As of 2 years ago I started the process of my families migration once again, by moing to the Netherlands and having my brother join me 8 months ago.

What are the social relations attached to the object? When studying in Portugal I had a very special teacher... Mrs.Correira. Her being South African and I Brazilian, we both were foringers in Portugal.

She was the first person to notice that I was different. Not knowing what it could be she paid for some very expensive tests at the time to come from the UK. I had a suspicion of dyslexia.

At the time there was little knolaedge about learning disabilities, and so during a summer vacation I flu to Brazil and got tested. She was right.

I spent a lot of my time with her, in and out of school.

She taught me how to do maths, read, write and play the piano. She was always knitting and I wanted to be like her and learn it too. For me, she started a knitting club at school where I spent many of my lunch breaks.

In many ways this scarf is a symbol of her and my dyslexia. The fact of it being unfinished also tells a story of my relationship with dyslexia.

Coming accross this scarf brought me to think of having a symbolic action to mend my realtionship with my dyslexia.

My history with it being so confusing and painfull, this seemed like a good opportunity to confront it.






This internal rupture has happened over time as I grew up. Yet, its effects are with me to this day.

Its led me to struggle with self-esstime, self-worth, insecurities, social interactions and more.






I want to reconect this my perception of myself. Hopeful to acknokedgle my relationship with it can offer self acknoledgement that wasnt always there groing up.

In addition, by adressing the relationship with my dyslexia I can get a closed look into the role institutes had such as: familty and school

litteral mend used to reinforce symbolic with knitting





Taking in the idea of the literal mending from my scarf, I found it fitting to use that medium reflected in a metaphorical mend. Due to its strong link to my relationship with dyslexia.

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METAPHORICAL MENDING

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How did it rupture?

What recconnection do i want?

How will i mend?

Masks by Bertjan Pot

Cactus by Kristen Skees

INSPIRATION

Brownie & his unfinished scarf