Fabricating Freedom: Textile Art as a Tool of Self-Expression in the Carceral System

• In Event: Lightning Talk: From Cells to Solutions: Future Research Directions through Carceral Citizen Creativity

Abstract

The carceral system strips individuals of personal identity and self-expression, enforcing an imposed identity that suppresses autonomy and creativity. This study analyzes 6 sources of textile art created by system-impacted individuals to examine issues of identity and self-expression in the carceral system. Abductive analysis revealed themes of freedom, transformation, and identity negotiation. These findings challenge conventional understandings by showing how incarcerated individuals use textile art to navigate the complex duality of imposed identity and self-perception, transforming everyday prison materials into personal expressions of selfhood. Such findings suggest a need for further research into the ways textile art and clothing facilitate the formation of both personal and collective identity among system-impacted individuals.

Author

• Carson Cherniss, American University