The Remains of the Folk Era / Women’s labour in Rural Greece

Abstract

The Remains of the Folk Era is a practice-based design project that explores how cultural memory, women’s labor, and inherited knowledge can be communicated through material form. The installation centers around a life-sized wooden vessel, painted with colorful geometric patterns. Onto its surface, I attached tufted textile elements referencing Greek traditional female garments such as aprons and headscarves. In addition, key words from my theoretical research and selected phrases from oral history surveys were handwritten directly onto the wooden structure using marker pens. These layered elements work together as a non-verbal narrative surface. The vessel stands on a single fur-covered base with four distinct colors one on each side. The base emphasizes the sensory quality of the work and also invites visitors to approach and potentially sit, creating a point of physical contact with the installation. This integration of color, softness, and scale reinforces the work’s tactile dimension and makes space for quiet engagement.The main piece is accompanied by three smaller tufted containers. My personal reaction to the subjects discussed in the gigantic vessel is reflected in their design, which features vibrant colours and patterns inspired by Greek folklore. The small vessels provide a modern, personal interpretation, while the central structure preserves collective memory.The pieces collectively investigate how material, surface, and touch-focused design approaches might reawaken ancestral forms.The project is grounded in feminist design, craft practices, and critical heritage studies. It addresses how tradition can be sustained through reinterpretation and how tactile engagement can support cultural storytelling in contemporary design.