Ida Czajkowska "Restitched"
People tend to hoard things for years. Sometimes all their belongings are accumulated in one place. Objects testify to their habits, lifestyle, passions, and decisions. As often happens, the belongings are naturally passed to the heirs, leaving them with the question: what should I do with the objects that once belonged to the relatives?
Showcasing the graduates of the Sputnik Photos Mentoring Programme 2023/2024. More photos will be on display at the exhibition in Warsaw, starting 26 April, 2025.
I found myself in such a situation four years ago when I cleaned the apartment after my grandfather, whom I barely knew. Looking through thousands of his belongings and photographs, I imagined what person he was, what he did, and who he was. I did not want to get rid of everything, so I sorted and selected items that were attractive to me. I focused on cameras, technical instruments, and devices, and apart from them – on fabrics. Curtains, tablecloths, and work aprons and coats.
Among women in my family, sewing is a common skill. I grew up believing that there is nothing difficult about sewing. My two grandmothers – Danusia and Wiesia – as well as my mum Aldona told a lot of stories about beautiful clothes they tailored for themselves in the past. I could hear pride in their words. I also noticed these gestures of independence, individualism, and empowering agency. They spoke about colors, adjustments, about designing the clothes they would be wearing. Influenced by these stories, I decided to create something for myself. I transformed the fabrics I found and received, full of history, into totally new fashion items. I have created a functional collection of clothes from fabrics that carry the memories of previous owners and make the memory of loved ones easier, and additionally, give me the same sense of pride that the previous generations of women in my family felt and nurtured.
