[Full Archive] Thesis Publication

[On-going and (a)live]

THE QUILTED ARCHIVES

CONTAINER OF ARCHIVES/ COLLECTOR OF MEMORIES/ WEAVER OF STORIES

~ Community-built archive of the Latinx Diaspora, Abya Yala and beyond ~

Orange neon hat

First thing they bought with the money they made working in a factory in a band concert. They worked in this factory to afford moving to Downtown Toronto independently. The only thing they have remaining from the place before moving in independently.1  

1. Interview with close friend, October 21, 2024.

Pink pijama pants

"I’ve had these pants since I was 8 years old (I am 21 now). I never really thought about what made these pants so special — perhaps the connection between them and one of my happiest birthdays — and even less about why I ended up keeping them for so long, and refusing to throw them away. I would ask my great granny to stitch it if it ripped and with each wear it became more and more just like a second skin (I can/could still wear them to these day). I believe the pants grew up with me, and now it is part of your project, they will be kept safe in the archive of care that you are sewing and I am so glad I kept them all these years, maybe the pants knew they were going to be in this project and that’s why they didn’t allow me to throw them away. Thank you for giving them a space where they can finally rest."2

2. Anonymous, direct message to author, October 24, 2024.

Mexican María rag doll

"For me, this small doll holds a lot of meaning. It represents friendship, connection, and the appreciation I have for the people I give it to. I like to share it with those who are special to me, as a reminder that they’re always in my thoughts, no matter the distance or time.

Beyond just a keepsake, this doll also carries a piece of my country, Mexico. It’s a way for me to share my heritage with those I care about, hoping it brings a reminder of our friendship whenever they see it. In its own small way, I hope it becomes something meaningful to them."3

3. Anonymous, direct message to author, October 25, 2024.

Yellow top

She went to buy this top with her grandmother. Reminds her of the vivid colours of her hometown and is something she holds onto to remember Veracruz.4

4. Interview with close friend, October 25, 2024. 

Blue football jersey

"The piece is a sports jersey of the American football team, the Tennessee Titans, with the player "Chris Johnson" on it. It means a lot to me because I am a massive sports fan, but I grew up in a house without much memorabilia of any kind. My family didn't believe in having those things as they were not fans of sports, especially football. When I was 8, I finally got one after a year or two of begging for a piece of memorabilia of my favorite sports team, and it was this jersey. I would wear it so frequently that my mom would beg me to no wear it as it was looking more ragged by the day. And though it hasn't fit me in years, I brought it with me when I moved to Canada more so as a good luck charm and to be a reminder of the dream I am chasing by moving to Canada, away from my home."5

5. Anonymous, direct message to author, October 25, 2024.

Hand-sewn white baby dress

"This little dress was gifted to me when I was merely months old. Woven and crafted completely by hand back in Colombia, it is a testament to my ethnic background and my familial ancestry. My mother immigrated to Canada in her late twenties. She then met the love of her life, married him, and had me in her early thirties. Being fully Colombian by blood yet entirely Canadian in life experience has provided me with a certain sort of dichotomy that is only experienced by first-generation children of immigrants. My connection to my “latinidad” may feel a bit frayed at times, as if I am not latina enough because of the way my Canadian identity intersects with my family’s culture. Regardless of this, though, I try to connect with my Colombian roots a bit more every day, whether it be through the way in which I dress or through the art I create. This little dress is a testament not only to this dichotomy, but also to the beauty of the immigrant who succeeded; my mother changed her life forever when she boarded that plane many years ago—and I would not exist if she had not done so." 6

6. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 13, 2024.

Black linen dress

"Esta prenda me trae muchos recuerdos de cuándo vivía en Oakville con mi mamá y mi hermana, y trabajábamos en el estudio de arte de mi tía :) Y fue de las primeras prendas de ropa que me compré y me sentí YO. Entonces por muchos años lo use para eventos del estudio y con la fam."7

7. Anonymous, direct message to author, October 31, 2024.

Linen bodysuits

"i really like overalls, bodysuits, generally one-pieces of clothing that cover my whole body. i think it all started as a comforting transition out of boring uniforms at catholic school or teenage body issues and then they turned into a bit of a personal trademark that kept going once i was healed from the above. the light overall with grey/brown-ish stripes was a gift from my mom when i was in high school, right before i moved to Canada and her heart would break from having me away. the other bodysuit with white and grey stripes was a gift from my roommate in second year of university, another trademark gift but this time from a found home. i think they look mine, they come from different homes but they’ve been worn just the same, with the ends of the pants dirty from being dragged on the ground (as pants usually do when you’re 5'1 and body suits are made for a average height that is always taller) and pockets because i refuse to wear clothes that don’t have space for trinkets. You can run away as much as you can, but there are always things like this to show you how much your recreate your past in new versions of yourself."8

8. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 1, 2024.

Green Striped Shirt

"i stole this shirt from my stepdad and wore it to school when i was 15. it was one of the first times i felt masc, and i didn’t expect it to feel so good. walking out of grade 10 science felt like floating on a cloud because a friend said i looked really good in it. i don’t know if she meant it in this way, but i took that to heart as being seen in a way i never expected to want to be seen. i don’t wear it much anymore because i’ve since bought other clothes - clothes that i didn’t have to steal from my stepdad, clothes that are mine - that make me feel that way."9

9. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 1, 2024.

Blue and Red Striped shirt and Brown t-shirt

The shirt holds a special meaning to him as it was the shirt he wore the first time he went to the gay village in Toronto, so he was feeling really confident and good in his self. The brown t-shirt was the piece of clothing he used to cross the border to come live in Canada for the first time.10

10. Interview with close friend, November 1, 2024. 

"Colombiana"blue t-shirt

She got this shirt from Colombian local brand and it represents one of the most iconic Colombian brands and symbols.11

11. Interview with close friend, November 4, 2024.  

White t-shirt and blue jeans

She wore this t-shirt in a specific birthday back in Mexico, when her grandparents had recently passed away, and her family was going through these hard times. This piece holds this moment in time as well as the feeling from her hometown. The blue jeans reminder her more of adventure.12

12. Interview with close friend, November 4, 2024. 

Pink sweater

This sweater reminds her of her friend Vanessa, the first friend she made when coming to university from Guadalajara. She went with her thrifting, and it reminds her of the sense of adventure and that everything is possible, the first year of uni living abroad. Her first year in uni involved a lot of discovery and wonder, because she bought the sweater in a thrift store that wasn't even in downtown Toronto. Overall, her first year was the time when she felt most excitement.13

13. Interview with close friend, November 4, 2024. 

Black uni sports jersey

This shirt was from the university she attended in Brazil, the first time she left her home in Mexico to live abroad as an independent person. It's her first reminder in a clothing piece of living by herself outside her hometown.14

14. Interview with close friend, November 4, 2024. 

Packers Long Sleeve Green shirt

"This Packers green long-sleeve shirt is so important to me because my dad would always wear that growing up; that was basically his favourite shirt, and I inherited it sometime (or I probably took it from his wardrobe at some point). Whenever I missed him, I would wear it, and a lot of hard things have happened with him, some being him having to go to prison or even being deported; there's been moments where I've really had to miss him and not have him around. So, wearing his clothing has meant a lot to me, it's a way of connection, a way of remembering a simpler time when we were together. That's why it was a lot to part ways with it, but it's also a piece of clothing I know it's gonna deteriorate at some point, even the sleeves are breaking! That's why it's significant to me, it's my daddy, mi papito. It's a piece that connects through time and space. Offered my dad a way to connect with the culture here but offers a way for me to connect emotionally with him even in his absences."15

15. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 4, 2024.  

"Colombia" t-shirt and "hustle" t-shirt

These t-shirts were brought to Nicolas by his uncle form Colombia and, since he has not been in Colombia in many years, and neither sees his uncle a lot, these shirts are valuable to him, as they remind him of a family member he really loves and has a close relationship with.16

 16. Interview with close friend, November 5, 2024. 

Cherries black top and black glove with rose

"The first item, the top, I got it in Colombia. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve worn it since then. It means a lot to me because it gave me confidence and made me feel good about (how I see) myself. Eventually, it no longer fit me, but I kept it because I had that feeling that I might wear it again someday. The second item, the glove, was the first pair I had when I arrived in Canada. My grandmother gave them to me, and I couldn’t stop wearing them. Eventually, I lost one, but I kept the one that remained because of the special meaning it held as a gift from my grandmother when I first arrived in this country."17

 17. Interview with close friend, November 6, 2024.  

Blue jean short shorts

"So this is what happened with those short shorts.

I think this was second year or third year, but I was invited to a Halloween party at someone’s place who was also studying engineering. I’m not a big dress up guy, but I know these parties can be quite funny and ridiculous in a good way, so I decided that I wanted to dress up! I decided that I was gonna go and dress up as a sexy construction worker, because I didn’t wanna buy something new. I grabbed an old pair of jeans and cut them super short, to the point where my boxers were actually longer than the short shorts themselves hahah. One of my friends roommates, luckily, had a construction vest that he let me borrow. So when I got to the party, I changed out of my regular clothes into my sexy construction worker clothes. It was amazing because these parties get really hot so I was in short shorts and just construction vest! I had a blast and still have a good memories from that party."18 

18. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 8, 2024.   

NASA cream white thrifted t-shirts

"When I first arrived to Canada, my mom used to buy our clothes from the most affordable locations possible. My pants would be extra large and drag on the floor as I walked to school, and my shirts would be too small as I began to grow up. When my dad began to make good money, it showed in the clothing on my body. What was once too loose fit just right, and anything that was too tight or tacky was cut up and used as a cleaning cloth. At one point I realized the clothing I was wearing was all brand new, and I felt grateful to be able to own that. But I still had reminiscence of my old clothing lingering through my closet. When I did my final spring cleaning to be donated away to someone in need, I found a NASA shirt that my mom bought me when I started High school. This was a transitional time when our funds improved and so did our clothes, but I would keep the clothing I still liked. I looked at the shirt and felt scared to throw it away, afraid I would forget where I came from and therefore who I am. The shirt, once was too large for my skinny body but now fits just right, reminds me of the humble beginnings I once lived. Now, as I donate my old clothes, I wonder if another Latin American kid, navigating life in oversized shirts, might see themselves in me."19

19. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 8, 2024.   

Black flowered t-shirt

The shirt she donated was a shirt inherited by a large network of family members, passed down across different, intertwined circumstances of their lives; moving to different places, travelling with them, and she ended up keeping this reminder of the movement and dynamic relationships of her familial network.20

 20. Interview with close friend, November 12, 2024.  

Wool grey sweater

"Este saco lo usamos desde antes del año 2000 en distintas ocaciones y países:

•⁠  ⁠Carolina

•⁠  ⁠Maria Isabel (cuando estaba esperando a Santiago)...por lo tanto,

•⁠  ⁠Santiago 

•⁠  ⁠Chris

•⁠  ⁠Juanita."

"Ya esta muy viejito y descocido en unas partecitas!!"

"Ese es de Guatavita."21

Carolina Arango, personal photo of her with her dad, a Sunday in the early 2000s, Santa María del Lago wetland, Bogotá, Colombia.

Carolina Arango, personal photo of Familia Arango Corchuelo, December 2006, Via Chingaza, Colombia.

Carolina Arango, personal photo, December 2021, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. In the building of her first home in Canada, has been demolished and no longer exists.

21. Arango, Carolina, direct message to author, November 12, 2024.   

Beige Hoodie

"This piece of fabric that seems insignificant reminds me of one of the hardest years in my life. I left everything I knew behind, to look for hope and opportunities in Canada—but looking back—I was really looking for a new home. I learned how much I was capable of doing, one can only discover their true capacity when nobody is watching, when you face yourself in the mirror. This year was very lonely as most classes were online and I found myself in an unknown city with unknown people, although friends to meet soon. I wore this beige hoodie every day at 5:30 AM, on my way to the gym in this new cold city. I tried to hide myself in work, exams, productivity, cleaning, productivity, yet every day that passed it felt more empty; the loneliness was getting louder and louder.

Self-doubt has always kept me company. Why did I put myself through this if my parents, grandparents and great grandparents had to do it too? Were their efforts and sacrifices lost once I left home? What if we are eternal refugees, migrants, nation-less people? What if there is no home where I can feel safe?

Thank you self-doubt for keeping me accountable for my lineages of trauma and hard work, thank you fear for protecting me, and thank you courage for pushing me to do things with fear. Now it is time to move forward and build my home, as no place will ever make me feel safe, it is the people that protect, not spaces. 

With solidarity,"22

22. Anonymous, direct message to author, November 14, 2024.   

Blue navy music group t-shirt

The shirt was from the owner’s music group while in high school in Canada. It is very special as this shirt symbolizes her strong bond with music and dance, which she embodies in her different activities and is her long-life passion. Her favorite part of the shirt is the phrase that it has in the back.23

 23. Interview with close friend, November 20, 2024.  

“Columbia” beige t-shirt

This shirt means a lot to the former owner. One day, in an unfortunate circumstance where he was unconscious and alone, his best friend came to his rescue and clothed him with his own t-shirt. He later kept the shirt as a reminder of the strong and close bond he has with his best friend, who is more like family to him. He frequently used it as pajama t-shirt or around the house, but is the only reminder of their friendship while he lives in Canada, far from his friend and home in Mexico.24

 24. Interview with close friend, November 20, 2024.  

Purple pajama t-shirt

The shirt he donated was a shirt that he has carried around with him since he left Colombia, to live abroad, from Germany and, later, to Canada.25

 25. Interview with close friend, November 24, 2024.  

 

Pink hoodie

“Este hoodie representa mi mejor versión en ese punto de mi vida en que lo obtuve. Lo tengo hace 5 años, y me lo traje desde Chile hasta Toronto, no lo queria botar porque me recordaba a mi versión muy bonita y romántica de ese tiempo. Me lo dió mi primera novia, entonces sostiene un valor especial, desde la forma en que me lo dió hasta lo que representa. Fue muy lindo y yo no me lo quitaba, me gustaba como se me veía, y sirve como recordatorio de todos los momentos lindos que tuve con ella, como tambien las dificultades que tuve que pasar. Ese momento fue transformador para mi ya que salí del closet y, a la vez, dí todo el amor que pude a la persona que quería tanto en ese momento. Marca un crecimiento y cambio personal grande, en el que pude ser yo misma. Gracias a ese momento, me pude dar mucho más amor a mi misma y a todos en general.”26

 

26. Interview with close friend, March 5, 2025.  

Red bumper jacket

Esta chaqueta la tenía con su hermano, la usaban siempre juntos. Ellos la compraron al mismo tiempo en Bogotá, y decian que los identificaba como Hermanos. Se la llevaba a todos lados, hasta que la perdió. La usaron por 5 años juntos.27

27. Interview with close friend, March 5, 2025.  

Blue flannel shirt

"The blueblack shirt is the first one I stole from my dad and we can call it the blubli shirt. I'd blubli with me since I started college as my lucky/support piece. I would initially wear it on days I needed a little push like for exams or interviews... eventually I would just put it on in the moments that I missed my dad a little extra. This piece is very special to me because it embraces reminiscence, belonging, and love."28

28. Anonymous, direct message to author, March 29, 2025.  

Mexico’s Soccer Team Jersey

“I bought this shirt in Mexico City while I was visiting my family in 2022 and wore it during the World Cup. I brought it with me to Canada as a memento of that year I spent in Mexico with my friends and family and it has served as a reminder of where I come from, wearing it with pride while I was away from home.”29

29. Anonymous, direct message to author, March 29, 2025.   

White Sweater

This sweater was brought by the former owner to Canada from their home country as a witness of the growth they underwent throughout their childhood, adolescence and now adulthood in university. It is one of the few things they have kept for a long time, using it during school back there, and kept them company in their migration to a new home.30

30. Interview with close friend, March 29, 2025.

  

Blue and Yellow Flowered shirt

“I was best friends with her for 7 years and we did everything together. She was incredibly passionate about environmental science, which was complimentary to my interests in the political and socially situated contexts of the Land and its spatial organization. As soon as we finished our homework or didn’t have shifts scheduled, we would always go on a walk somewhere, randomly plan to go to the beach to look at rocks, or spend excruciating hours at Tim Hortons studying for our exams. One day, we had decided to go explore Ontario Place and I had chosen to wear this shirt. I’m not sure what or why in that particular moment but I had realized I liked her beyond a platonic way, and the feeling was mutual.”31

31. Anonymous, direct message to author, April 3, 2025.   

Grey Shirt

“Mi mamá me regaló esta camisa hace años, me la dió para un viaje de playa. Fue la primera vez que me quedó una talla más chica de ropa, y de las primeras veces que me hizo sentir bien vestirme bien con ropa de tamaño más chico.”32

32. Anonymous, direct message to author, March 31, 2025.   

Yellow shirt

“Esta blusa amarilla tiene un lugar muy especial en mi corazón, no solo como una prenda de ropa, sino como un recuerdo de un momento clave en mi vida. La compré para mi cumpleaños número 17, en una época en la que sentía que mi mundo se estaba expandiendo de tantas formas. No fue solo un cumpleaños; marcó un momento en el que estaba creciendo, aprendiendo y descubriéndome a mí misma.
Ese año había comenzado mi primer semestre en la universidad. Todo se sentía nuevo y emocionante: las personas, las experiencias, los sueños que apenas empezaba a perseguir. La blusa se convirtió en un símbolo de ese nuevo comienzo, algo brillante y lleno de esperanza que reflejaba cómo me sentía en ese entonces. Recuerdo que al ponérmela me sentía segura, como si estuviera lista para enfrentar esta nueva etapa de mi vida con entusiasmo.
También fue un tiempo en el que experimentaba el amor en su forma más pura. Aún estaba con mi primer amor, y fue una relación llena de emociones profundas y de tantas “primeras veces”. Mirando atrás, me doy cuenta de que ese amor moldeó una gran parte de quien era en ese momento, enseñándome lo que significaba querer profundamente a alguien.
La blusa amarilla me recuerda ese período de crecimiento, cuando estaba equilibrando la emoción de la vida universitaria, explorando una relación nueva y tratando de entender quién estaba llegando a ser. No siempre fue fácil, pero fue una etapa tan hermosa de mi vida. Esa blusa se convirtió en más que algo que usaba: fue testigo de mi evolución, del proceso de aprender a ser yo misma.
Incluso ahora, cada vez que pienso en ella, recuerdo a esa joven de 17 años llena de esperanza, que estaba comenzando a crecer y a abrazar la vida con los brazos abiertos. Es una pieza de mi pasado, un recordatorio de una versión más joven de mí que apenas empezaba a caminar por el mundo.”33

33. Anonymous, direct message to author, December 21, 2024. 

Deep Blue flowered skirt

“Esta falda la recibí cuando tenía 15 años como un regalo de mi mamá en unas vacaciones, como una salida de baño. Desde el principio, me encantó por su diseño: llena de flores y con aberturas a los lados, lo que la hacía fresca y cómoda.
Fue una falda normal hasta que mi abuela la vio un día, y desde ahí la hizo muy especial para mi. Cuando la vio por primera vez, me dijo que le encantaba porque le recordaba la ropa que usaban en Manzanillo, Cartagena, en los años 70. Este simple comentario se convirtió en el inicio de muchas conversaciones sobre su vida en el Caribe antes de mudarse a Perú o incluso antes de conocer a mi abuelo. Usar la falda no solo me hacía sentir más conectada con ella y con la historia de nuestra familia, pero me creaba curiosidad sobre un barrio que nunca conocí en una ciudad mágica de Colombia que significó demasiado para la vida de mi abuela y mi mamá.
Durante varios años, la llevé conmigo en cada viaje; era algo esencial en mi maleta. Sin embargo, después de varios años, la falda se encogió después de meterla en una secadora y no pude seguir usándola. A pesar de eso, su significado permaneció intacto. Ahora, al entregarla, espero que siga contando historias y creando nuevos recuerdos, tal como lo hizo conmigo. 34

34. Anonymous, direct message to author, April 5, 2025. 

Olive Green t-shirt

“Esta simple prenda del uniforme policial, la porté durante un poco más de 37 años con el uniforme, tanto de calle (#3) como con el de trabajo (dril). Se trata de una camisa tipo polo, color verde oliva, en algodón, obligatoria cuando se está uniformado. Siempre durante mi servicio hizo parte del vestuario, en la ciudad, y en las zonas de alteración del orden público nacional que, para mí caso particular, fueron Bogotá y, el más complejo, el Magdalena medio (Santander-Boyacá-Antioquia), durante 1993-1995. [Me acompañó] aportando a la seguridad de la población asediada por las guerrillas de las FARC y el ELN, como comandante de una unidad de contraguerrillas compuesta por jóvenes policías, en su mayoría menores de 20 años. Como puedes observar es una prenda realmente significativa como quiera que siempre la utilizamos y recoge de primera mano el sentir del cuerpo ante todas las situaciones que tiene que experimentar el hombre Policia ante el conflicto. Complemento mi historia con el uso de esta camiseta durante 24 horas diarias en los años 1995-1997, como Comandante de la policía de Cundinamarca, encargado de dar seguridad a los habitantes de sus 116 municipios y contener la amenaza de las FARC que pretendían atentar contra Bogota.”35

35. Arango, Alonso, direct message to author, December 26, 2024. 

Painting apron with printed photos

The owner of the garment used this apron to teach her students to paint, particularly, she taught me oil painting, introducing me to the world of art for the first time, since 2007. She has preserved this piece for more than 10 years, accompanying both of us in our own creative processes; to her with her continuation of oil painting on large canvases, and to me to expand my practice towards new horizons such as painting on fabric to sell, and inspiring me to apply to enter to study visual arts within the university in Canada, finally arriving at this thesis work. This garment has changed the skins of both of us, and is extremely significant and reminiscent of my artistic process from little to this thesis.36

36. Interview with Lida Arango, January 6, 2025.

Cotton Patterned Hat

“De todo corazón, quiero compartir el gorro que utilizo mi bella madre en épocas de frío en sus últimos días que me acompañó aquí en la tierra y que actualmente me sigue protegiendo desde el cielo. (…) Te lo entrego a ti porque eres la hijita que nunca tuve, así te vi desde pequeñita y te sigo recordando igual. Espero que muchas personas de diferente partes del mundo puedan disfrutar de esta pieza en tu proyecto, y principalmente yo, porque ahí también seguirá vivo el recuerdo de mi madre.”37

37. Vargas, Graciela, direct message to author, January 8, 2025. 

Green patterned baby hat

This baby hat has been worn by almost the whole 3^rd generation of Corchuelo cousins. First worn by me, and then passed on to my brother, and all my cousin’s on my mom’s younger brother side, Juanjo, then Isa, and most recently worn by AnaLu and Andrés. This headpiece represents the significance of inheriting clothing between cousins and families, as we age and leave a piece of our experiences with them, as new memory-makers, taking on new meanings with their new owners. A Corchuelo family heirloom.38

38. Interview with Pilar Ruiz, January 2, 2025.

Aquamarine ballet leotard (body licrado de ballet)

Worn for the first time in September 30th, in her first ballet competition at 8 years-old, representing Cundinamarca with En Avant Dance Academy, in an interdepartmental dance challenge, the owner faced her first time competing on stage, being the main dancer of her academy and opening the competition. She describes their presentation as technically outstanding, however, it was the simple choice of costume, a blue leotard, what kept them from winning first place, by only 2 points. Despite the scores, she narrates her time on stage as the defining moment where she knew she was born to dance.39

39. Interview with Isabella Corchuelo, January 2, 2025.

Bright green soccer jersey

This shirt, used for professional matches, represented many dreams and sacrifices of the owner. Following in the footsteps of his father in Colombian professional fútbol and with his talent and exceptional passion in sports, Juan José trained fútbol all his life until he reached the Bogota fútbol team Equidad in the sub16 category. Constantly changing schools, and with the great possibility of leaving his education to dedicate himself to full-time fútbol, this shirt accompanied him in a stage of his early life starting to be a teenager, learning from hours of sacrifice and discipline to fight for his dreams until he couldn't take it anymore. Finally, in 2024, he left behind his professional fútbol dream to focus completely on his high school education and great university aspirations, possibly at the University of Toronto, looking for better opportunities for his personal and professional success outside Colombia.40

40. Interview with Juan José Corchuelo, January 2, 2025.

Blue Soccer Jersey

This jersey marks the last end of a lengthy career in Colombian soccer for stardom. The owner started playing soccer around middle school, entering the school’s (school name) varsity fútbol team in Chia, Cundinamarca. His intense love and ability in the sport led him to enter professional fútbol arena in 1989, playing for one of the most popular Colombian fútbol teams of all time, Millonarios. He started in quinta categoría, now known as fuerzas básicas or sub15, at only 13 years of age, escalating to cuarta categoría in 1993, known as fútbol base or sub17, before being sent to mandatory military service in Colombia. After representing Colombian fútbol within the country and abroad, including championships in Venezuela and against Brazilian teams, he had to give up his fútbol stardom dream for alternative life paths, later continued by his older son. In a relational way, this jersey inherently follows his son’s story in his green jersey, reflecting the love and closeness fútbol instilled in them and for their dad-son relationship, but also how it frustrated and complicated their life paths from very early in their lives, consequently impacting their bond and conflating their interests, in an attempt to keep that initial dream alive.41

41. Interview with Fabian Corchuelo, January 2, 2025.

Embroidered and painted mantél

Around 50 years ago, when her daughter was born, Flor started making this mantél for her home, as her family started growing. Since her first child, she started embroidering her children’s clothes, later decorating pieces of her home through her art to make it more lively and more hers. At this time, she started learning to paint on fabric, to enhance more “manteles, sabanas, sobresabanas, cojines” with more colour and getting her hand across any surface in the house. Later, she started selling her embroidered fabrics and learning to make clothes, primarly for her family. Now, every one of us, has a personal piece of her artworks; living across our bedsheets, on our furniture, when we sleep, or as part of our childhood clothes, she lives through them, intersecting us and our timelines, constructing our own homes, for generations.38

42. Interview with Flor Cala, January 2, 2025.

Checkered blue apron

“Este delantal es uno de los que mamá uso durante muchos años, es para mi símbolo de amor y entrega. Mi madre, una mujer amorosa, pragmática y, a sus 84 años, una mujer adelantada para su época. Una mujer que no se escandalizaba con nada; a diferenca de las mujeres de su generación que se aterraban de la manera de vestir de los demas, no le escandalizaba la desnudez, ni la homosexualidad, ni los escotes y minifaldas exageradas, la que siempre en sus consejo veía todo con luz más que con oscuridad, una mujer divertida, dadibosa, y que daba la vida por su familia, la tía divertida, la hermami-psicóloga, siempre la esposa que aguantó mucho y a la que Dios le permitio tener casi dos décadas de tranquilidad.
Intenté ir a otras prendas y volvía a este delantal, pensaba nuevamente en otras prendas mías, y siempre volvia a algo de ella, y nuevamente retornaba a este delantal. Y sí, en definitiva, aunque ya deteriorado y manchando, hace parte de lo que quiero que te acompañe. 
Detrás de este delantal esta mi plato favorito hecho por mi mamá: frijoles con pezuña. Ella una boyacense de pura sepa casada con un paisa, que cada domingo queria de almuerzo este delicioso plato. Recuerdo hasta entrada mi juventud que cada Domingo este era nuestro almuerzo. Ya fuimos creciendo y este plato se comia de manera màs espaciado, y yo en mi adultez era el plato que mi madre me hacia a mis llegados de viaje o visitas a su casa. Este delantal es sinónimo de amor de hogar, me parece verla con él puesto y su labial rojo y sonriente, abriendome la puerta y dandome la bienvenida a su delicioso y único banquete, el que más amé.
Hoy, ya hace casi 7 meses que no volví a ver este delantal en acción, y tristemente no volvera a estar puesto en la mujer que más amo en el mundo: mi mamá. Ya mis frijoladas, aunque maravillosas, nunca tendran el toque secreto, con el que ella especialmente los preparaba. Hoy con mi madre se marcha ese plato único e irrepetible para mi corazón, ese que sabía a amor, cariño, alegría, resiliencia y valentía.”43

43. Aristizabal, Mercedes, direct message to author, January 15, 2025.

Navy Blue Sun-Bathing Gown

En esta camisa, viven las experiencias de la anterior dueña en un viaje a Cartagena con una amiga, hace muchos años, en los que recuerda con anhelo y entusiasmo la ilusión de la playa, el mar, los coctéles, el disfrute y goce de viajar consigo misma y los placeres de la vida.44

44. Interview with Stella Corchuelo, January 7, 2025. 

Embroidered handkerchiefs on hand-sewn blue plaid shirt

An embroidered collage of personal pieces narrates the landmarks of Soldedad’s life. The Swiss-themed embroiders on the handkerchiefs date back to 1973, when the owner was the first employee at Nestle (known as Psicolac in Colombia) to be sent to Switzerland from Colombia, being a secretary at zone 3 attending issues on the South American side. In her 20s, she was already travelling abroad, going to Europe for the first time, which seemed extraordinary to her as a woman from her time and context. Living there for 2 and a half years, she learned to speak English and French, as well as expanding her career opportunities astronomically. She also got to share a place with another Colombian woman in Switzerland, who later visited her family in Colombia, as she remained significant from her journey in a place away from home. These handkerchiefs were the last memory of this life-changing moment, marking a time where she could earn and give a better life to her family and kids.
After retiring from working at Nestle her whole life, the embroidered blue shirt was made, when she could go back to a quiet, calm life with her family, learning how to embroider and starting to build her home again, and herself within. Joining her husband in retirement to attend their home, after he served as sub official in the Colombian Air Forces during La Violencia in Colombia, working inside the airplanes canyon towers, mostly in the south of Tolima, they both could rest after constantly working to sustain their family. Decades of her husband travelling between countries to work in any job available to provide for their kids, of many sacrifices and efforts, this moment marked the desired rest and enjoyment of their (frutos), crossing borders and weaving dreams.45

45. Interview with Soledad Corchuelo, January 8, 2025.

Jordan Black and white hat

This hat represents the almost 60-year old journey of its owner being a priest. He arrived to the Catholic school of Jordan de Sanjonia in 1956, in his pursuit of a proper education for the time, as well as to explore his possible vocation in priesthood, in the Santo Domingo convent in Bogotá. Leaving his hometown to live in the capital city, he began his solo journey at only 12 years of age, eventually entering the seminary and getting ordained in 1968, by the pope Paul VI. This hat with the school label represents this lengthy career and lifetime pursuit of priesthood, weighting 57 years being a Dominican priest.46

46. Interview with Faustino Corchuelo, January 9, 2025.

White embroidered handkerchief

“Este pañuelo me lo trajo mi tía Sor Bertha (Judith, nombre de pila) cuando estuvo en misión en Perú. Ella era una religiosa, pero además era educadora, una labor digna de todo mi respeto, porque es una gran responsabilidad con la sociedad. Mi tía volvió en el 2002 y me trajo este detalle y desde ese entonces, hace 23 años para esta época, siempre me ha acompañado. Mi tía Sor Bertha era una persona muy especial y este detalle fue como si hubiera sido único para mi, por eso lo he conservado durante tantos años. Afortunadamente tuve la oportunidad de compartir mucho con ella durante el tiempo que estuvo en el colegio de Bogotá. Conservé este pañuelo tantos años, porque para mi era como tener un pedacito de mi tía conmigo, se que debemos recordar a las personas por los momentos que compartimos juntos y los sentimientos que tenemos hacía ellas, pero ese pañuelito la representa a ella para mi.”47

47. Arango, Maria Eugenia, direct message to author, January 15, 2025.

 Yellow and blue high school senior jacket

“Esta prenda tiene un significado super especial, la cual mi hijo David Alberto, usó en su último año de colegio. La guardé hasta este año 2024, donde tú la usaras como es tu deseo” 48

48. Arango, Cristina (Tina), direct message to author, December, 2024.

White embroidered baby blanket

“Esta manta fue la que te abrazo y abrigo a la 1:10pm  el 3 de julio de 2003 en Toronto cuando naciste. Fue el manto con que te abrace y te amamante por primera vez!
Representa el abrigo invisible de amor que siempre quiero te cuide, proteja y cobije, allí esta grabado el momento más feliz de mi vida cuando te recibí en mis brazos.
Simboliza la fuerza y la divinidad de ser mamá e hija, un lazo de amor inquebrantable e invisible que nos unirá por siempre y hasta la eternidad. Como los hilos de esta manta que se entretejen, así en tu vida desde que inicio en el vientre se entretejen con hilos invisible día a día el amor divino y terrenal en tu alma.
Esta manta tejida en Colombia te acompaño a viajar a Toronto donde te vio nacer y te abrigo y de nuevo regreso contigo a Colombia donde te vio crecer durante 18 años y como el hilo invisible que teje tu vida regresaste a Toronto donde hoy este manta te acompaña.
Con tu talento hoy la conviertes en un baluarte con tu arte en _La Hamaca:  encuentro con el origen y la existencia _
Te amo hasta el infinito y más allá
Mamá”49

49. Corchuelo, Magally, direct message to author, March 22, 2025.

Olive green with flowers Guayabera shirt

“My first photo without you,

I’ve always had the illusion to live close to the sea. And, this was the first time we got close to that dream, when we went to live for the first time to the apartment in Cartagena that your mom had bought with her business. It was post-COVID and you had already left to Canada, when I took the photo with this shirt. This first photo without you means that you had already left, we weren’t aware at that time, but it had happened. You left and now you’re building your own path, and that moment was a breaking point for me; I was getting close to a dream I’ve had with your mom, and our kids were leaving home. Take this shirt as a symbol of new beginnings, of breaks, of paradigm shifts. An opportunity of doing things differently, having new ideas, not comforming to the status quo…it means family, union, cultural traditions that can be framed within our new dynamics because they’re actually meaningful and worth it. Despite the paths we each decide to follow, we will always be a family.

Even before leaving, I was already missing you…”50

Javier Arango, personal photo of Familia Arango Corchuelo, 2021, Cartagena, Colombia.

50. Arango, Javier, direct message to author, March 23, 2025.

Flannel Black and White Jacket

He was wearing this jacket the day he injured his knee playing fútbol at school. Before the incident, he was a high-performance tennis player, training 8 hours per day, 7 times a week in high school, and playing the sport since he was 2 in his neighborhood. This jacket carried him through this circumstance that led him to a full year of recovery, that allowed him to play tennis again. The second time he injured his knee, he was also wearing the same jacket, and had to quit playing tennis professionally. He gets rid of this “bad luck” charm to pass it on to the hammock putting his unfortunate series of events to rest here.51

51. Interview with Tomás Arango, December, 2024.

White and brown sleeping socks

“un par de medias, mis favoritas que me acompañan y favorecen en esas tardes y noches frías. Son especiales porque me brindan esa tibieza tan deliciosa, te las obsequio con mucho cariño”52

52. Lozano, Amparo, direct message to author, December 18, 2024.

Black and gold tie

“Esta corbata es muy importante. Fue parte de mi personalidad en el desarrollo de la Vida profesional como abogado.”53

53. Florez, Didier, direct message to author, December 18, 2024.

"San Lucas" White t-shirt

"Esta camiseta es de uno de los lugares más maravillosos de su Mexico, que es Cabo San Lucas. El dueño ha estado conociendo su Mexico y por ello decidió que su retiro sea en su tierra... como dicen: Polvo eres y en polvo te convertirás o lo que es de allí... allí volverá. O lo que sale de esa tierra a Esa tierra volverá."54

54. Del Castillo, Sebastian, direct message to author, April, 2025. 

Multi-coloured magic handkerchiefs

“Los pañuelos han sido un elemento mágico. Las sedas, que tambien han sido utilizadas por mi en los shows, son parte importante del mundo mágico. Desde que tengo uso de razón, el arte de la Magia e ilusionismo han estado en mi mente y mi accionar. Como tu, y nuestra familia Cala, que es tan fuerte en el amor de familia, ustedes han sido parte importante de la Magia de mi existir. Dios ha hecho uno de sus mejores ilusiones el habernos traido con su poder a ser parte de la misma familia. La Magia e ilusionismo han sido y serán mi más grande pasión y por ello la pasión es el motor de todo lo que nos pueda hacer feliz.
Pasión por mi mismo, pasión por el amor en todo lo que soy y lo que hago y proyecto, pasión por los que amo y me Aman. Pasión por mi estudio o trabajo. Pasión por mis Aventura. Pasión por construir y ser feliz.”55

55. Del Castillo, Sebastian, direct message to author, April, 2025. 

Hogwarts grey t-shirt

“Quería mandarte algo que me recordara a momentos contigo. Cuando veas esta camiseta, te vas a acordar. Recuerdo irnos a ver Fantastic Beasts Pt 2 a Fontanar, y ese día fue uno de muchos que me dí cuenta que estar contigo reprimía todo el ruido del mundo, solo éramos nosotras hablando de nuestras cosas “que nadie entendería” por horas y horas. Sigues siendo de mis personas favoritas en la tierra.”56

56. Anonymous, direct message to author, January, 2025.