UPCYCLE, UPLIFT (2020-) by Sachigusa Yasuda
Born and raised in Japan, Yasuda moved to New York City in 2009 and has been creating artworks from the worldview of a woman and an ethnic minority. Upcycle, Uplift proposes a utopian solution to the current housing crisis by developing a line of recycled clothing created in workshops and remodeled based on the needs of homeless people. The participatory project invites the public to engage in deep listening with homeless people, opening themselves up to the complex issues that drive people to the street beyond the stereotypical assumptions. By designing and creating clothes that meet the needs of unhoused people, Upcycle, Uplift helps to restore dignity to those living on the street. Yasuda further tries to establish Upcycle, Uplift as a clothing brand and discusses with college students and faculty members concepts for an alternative economic system that can distribute profits in more egalitarian ways. Through engagements around the ideas of recycling and a regenerative economy, Upcycle, Uplift helps us to envision a more equitable and environmentally friendly future society.
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