Social and Psychological Aspects

Crafting Identity: A Journey Into Indian Textile Practices and Embodied Knowledge

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Abstract

Textile exploration allows us to be involved in creating extensions of ourselves that speak to re-imagined ways of expressing our multifaceted, intersectional identities. This research study aims to situate textile exploration as a method of understanding and constructing identity. Using Indian textile practices as a medium, the study employs a participatory arts-based research approach through textile-making workshops as a research method and pedagogical tool. Fashion students interested in textile making were invited to create contemporary expressions of three Indian textile craft techniques. The study investigated how pedagogy can aid in the learning and application of textile craft as a tool to create embodied knowledge through research-creation. The findings from this study showed that through reflexive creation, textile art can be an effective medium for self-expression and communication. The study also highlighted how an arts-based pedagogical framework through textile exploration workshops can encourage students to visualize perceptions of their identity.

Keywords: participatory arts-based methods, textile craft, workshops, identity, embodied knowledge

How to Cite:

Kumar, K., (2025) “Crafting Identity: A Journey Into Indian Textile Practices and Embodied Knowledge”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21874