"My wearable Textile Art Piece Ephemeral Sea heavily reflects my inspiration from the ocean and my concern for the current coral bleaching issue, critiquing the burgeoning issue of climate change. My purpose is to create an artistic statement piece designed to be worn to a Great Barrier Reef charity event, with the aim to raises awareness through the eye-catching design. The ocean inspiration is reflected in the ocean inspired colour scheme, ocean beading designs, the patterned broadcloth and the Suzusan manipulated organza. Ephemeral Sea is artistic as a result of my creative and innovative techniques. The issue of coral bleaching is portrayed through my top which is innovatively bleached asymmetrically to depict the issue of coral bleaching. Suzusan manipulated organza secured using Sashiko embroidery is featured on the overlay skirt and top which innovatively alludes to coral through the shape and form, while introducing three-dimensional tactile texture. This acts as a focal point as it is depicted once on the left shoulder strap and on the overlay skirt where the orange juxtaposed with the white depict the transition of coral from being coloured to bleached. I have creatively incorporated applique secured with machine blanket stitch to follow the movements of the patterned fabric while using contrasting colours, which creates a focal element to the fabric. My top design also incorporates white, orange and blue Sashiko embroidery, accompanied with beading using ocean-inspired designs, further strengthening the design concept of my piece. Throughout the process, I learnt how to think like a designer and manifest ideas into a garment. It taught me that textile is not a limited sphere but is closely interconnected with the world around us and can be used to communicate ideas, critique social issues and ultimately, bring audiences together as they share the familiarity of the concept surrounding the garment. This was a significant lesson I learnt that heavily inspired the conceptual idea for the garment to critique a social issue prevalent within contemporary society. The most valuable experience was watching the design and construction process watching the garment come to life from a single idea. However, the greatest challenge was during quarantine where the lack of class community, teachers and equipment made it challenging to carry out the project. Overall Ephemeral Sea critiques coral bleaching and climate change in an innovative and artistic way. I believe it can be a catalyst to raise awareness and incite change."
