The works presented in Hybrid Bags comprise four interconnected series developed between 2016 and 2025. Each series investigates the handbag as a carrier of memory, identity, and cultural dialogue through the intersection of traditional craftsmanship, contemporary design, and sustainable material practices.The Pindo Collection (2016) combines handwoven pindo fibre (Gynerium sagittatum) from Huila, Colombia, with upcycled leather, reinterpreting vernacular carrying baskets through collaborative making with local artisans. The Iku Bag series (2019) draws inspiration from the Iku (Arhuaco) mochila, translating its symbolic and structural qualities into contemporary bags crafted from reclaimed leather, patchwork, jute, and recycled textiles. Meaning Containers (2020) emerged from research with the Museum of Ethnography in Stockholm and incorporates raffia palm, second-hand beads, and natural materials in response to Congolese cultural heritage, exploring ethical engagement with museum collections. Finally, Amulet Bags (2025) reflect an ongoing dialogue with Sámi Duodji traditions, combining second-hand leather and glass beads to create contemporary forms informed by long-term collaboration and respect for Indigenous knowledge.
Across all four series, the bags function as more than utilitarian objects. They operate as material narratives that bring together ecological responsibility, cultural memory, and autoethnographic inquiry. Constructed from reclaimed, natural, and locally sourced materials, the pieces position making as a research methodology through which questions of identity, migration, heritage, and decolonial practice are explored. Rather than reproducing traditional forms, each bag offers a critical reinterpretation grounded in reciprocity, sustainability, and the transformative potential of hybrid craft.
This body of work (exhibition and notebook) was presented at the Biennial International Conference for the Craft Sciences (BICCS 2025), held in Mariestad, Sweden, and hosted by the University of Gothenburg, where it contributed to discussions on artistic research, craft methodologies, and material knowledge within contemporary craft practice.
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