A childhood photograph of my mother holding my hand, me dressed entirely in clothing she had made for me, was the point of inspiration for Fabric of Memory. The photo was taken on my very first day of kindergarten, and the idea of being away from my parents made me very unhappy. I finally agreed to go to school after mom told me to think of the jacket I was wearing as her embracing me throughout the day.

For Fabric of Memory, I focused on personal clothing and other fabric items in the possession of Liverpool residents; items made for them in childhood by parents, grandparents, other relatives or persons close to them. I asked them to search their homes for such items, ones they had treasured and kept, then write down all they could remember about these—who made them, when, how they were used, and whatever other memories and associations they evoked. Thus, when a museum visitor opens one of the wooden boxes, they find not only the object, but a very personal story about, a story which reveals the intimate relationship between the object's receiver and its maker.

Commissioned by Liverpool Biennial’s International 2006, UK.