Japanese Craft to represent Mental Health
Kass McGeoch was awarded one of the five Mike Davies Global Challenges Scholarships of up to £1,000.
Kass studied BA Fashion Design and Promotion at the University and has enjoyed focusing on bringing light to a multitude of topics. This has included the blending of British and Japanese formal wear to bring insight on the Westernisation of Japan and the movement of Japanism in the 1980s UK.
The Global Challenges Scholarship has allowed Kass to continue to spread the word about important issues through the medium of fashion. “This funding has allowed me to really expand my techniques and broaden my experimentation with material”, Kass said.
“My project associated with this funding was the exploration of representing mental health through Japanese craft and artisan techniques, some which are still used today, and some which are dying out due to lack of demand and artisans to pass it on. These techniques used were Momigami, Kamiko, and Kintsugi. I also opted to use authentic Japanese materials to ensure the quality of the product remained as close to its original components as possible”.
Kass went on to say: “My whole message imbued within this project was the concept of mental health shown in a physical form. Using repair techniques from Japan that encourage the appreciation of things that are broken or deemed unusable, and to honour the damage that has taken place, and not hide it in shame. I want to encourage this view in the real world for people who suffer from mental illness, to feel more accepted and appreciated for the things they go through daily, and not feel the need to hide. I want to celebrate their struggles and the way they overcome them”.
This scholarship has allowed Kass to undertake a project that holds significant personal importance without the financial constraints.
A final word from Kass: “Once again, thank you so much for providing me this incredible opportunity to expand my expertise and knowledge, I appreciate it immensely”.
