An artefact can be defined as a human made object that has a cultural or historical significance. It is an object that is defined and moulded by its context. Representing a moment in time and space, it serves as an informant of events and practices that were or still are. Such an object can be designed and contextually embedded to provide discourse, narrate stories, fuel thought and evoke emotions.
This project/MA thesis investigates and presents an approach to the creation of a series of artefacts that lend discourse to an important and ongoing topic - the sexual and reproductive health of women in low resource environments. This topic is explored through research conducted by Scope Impact oy, a social impact firm based in Helsinki, in the context of four countries - Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and India. A practice led approach is then employed to develop a series of objects that represent this topic and important transition moments in the life journey of women in these countries. The objects, termed as Engagement Objects, are devised through methodologies of discursive design and applied art in the realm of experimental glass and ceramics. These objects aim to provide an immersive and evocative medium to help people engage and empathise with these topics that are far removed from themselves, through material and tactility.
This project/MA thesis investigates and presents an approach to the creation of a series of artefacts that lend discourse to an important and ongoing topic - the sexual and reproductive health of women in low resource environments. This topic is explored through research conducted by Scope Impact oy, a social impact firm based in Helsinki, in the context of four countries - Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and India. A practice led approach is then employed to develop a series of objects that represent this topic and important transition moments in the life journey of women in these countries. The objects, termed as Engagement Objects, are devised through methodologies of discursive design and applied art in the realm of experimental glass and ceramics. These objects aim to provide an immersive and evocative medium to help people engage and empathise with these topics that are far removed from themselves, through material and tactility.
The work presented here has been done in collaboration with and through the supervision of Sandra Viña, Senior Service Designer at Scope Impact. This thesis was advised and supervised by Julia Lohmann, Professor of Practice in Contemporary Design at Aalto University.
For the thesis publication - click here
To know more about Scope Impact - click here
To know more about Scope Impact - click here
An article by Scope Impact for the project on Scope's Core page. https://thisiscore.org/art-not-excels-creating-cores-immersive-experience
The Engagement Objects
The Future Fossils. The Fossils are glass and metal hybrids that represent themes centred around gender based violence, archaic medical equipment, alternative family planning methods and transactional sex.
Transition points of a woman's life course through ceramics. Ceramic forms in collaboration with, and detailing by Sandra Viña
Materials - Bone China, Porcelain, Mixed media
Materials - Bone China, Porcelain, Mixed media
A porcelain piece representing Grandmotherhood
A Future Fossil representing transactional sex
A Future Fossil representing archaic medical equipment
Photography and Videography in collaboration with Alba Bonachela & Yuzhou Wang