"You Should Know Your History" is a project that reappropriates historical narratives through the art of making, blending personal heritage with Collective memory and modern technology.
This first opus, Hester prynne's stomacher, reimagines the 17th-century stomacher—a decorative, V-shaped garment panel that was a staple of women’s dress for over three centuries.
INspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter and crafted in the historical setting of Amsterdam’s Waag Futurelab, This project brings together traditional craftsmanship with innovations such as 3D printing.
By incorporating personal archives and playing with fiction, this work explores how the stories we are told shape identity and invites a renewed understanding of the narratives we inherit.
HESTER PRYNNE'S STOMACHER draws inspiration from Elizabethan blackwork embroidery, known for its intricate, monochromatic needlework patterns. the bLackworks are reinterpreted as 3D-printed designs, combined with fabric and LED-illuminated photo film.
Incorporating family archives from the last century, this piece transforms into an anachronistic artifact, highlighting the power of transmission and transgenerational memory. The images of my mother, sister, and myself place our personal stories on equal footing with history.
A view of Waag, Amsterdam, September 2024
Photography by Séraphine Bittard
Heavily influenced by the opulence of the Dutch Golden Age, the design explores an old-world European richness while referencing Puritan New England. It nods to the symbolic weight of The Scarlet Letter and acknowledges its colonial setting.
Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, set in 17th-century Boston, delves into themes of sin, shame, and resilience through the story of Hester Prynne, condemned to wear the scarlet letter “A” after committing adultery.
Revisiting this powerful emblem of moral judgment and personal identity, the project draws on The Scarlet Letter’s exploration of social stigma, self-definition, and the foundational role of tales in shaping the modern world’s historical consciousness.
This project was implemented with the support of theculture moves europe program and through a partnership with waag futurelab.
Disclaimer: This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
