Harmonious Fusion: Integrating Art and Medicine

Category: Accessories

My project aims to integrate these fragments into life through the fusion of art (music) and medicine. In the complex reality of our time, physical and mental problems are inevitable in our lives. I am the uncle of a niece who struggles with cerebral palsy following a car accident and uses a wheelchair, which motivated me to address issues of social inclusion and promote it through my project, aiming to change public perception and normalize views on people with various disabilities. In my second year of design college, I broke my right arm, wore a cast for six months, and underwent two surgeries. During that time, I realized even more how a physical problem can impact and limit the body. It was important for me to use leather as a raw material that artisans have worked with for centuries. A significant figure in my journey was James Gillingham, a shoemaker from Chard, England. He was the first to create a limb prosthesis due to weakness that led to the loss of his arm in a market accident in 1863. This prosthesis was successful, and Gillingham began producing leather limbs with decorative inserts for thousands of people. In 19th-century medical photographs, Gillingham commercially offers us ways to capture fantasies. Those who waver between the visible and the hidden are struck by the fetishistic eroticization of his prosthetics. His clients in photographs reveal their prosthetics to demonstrate the craftsmanship of their creator. My task was to create a bag that would integrate design and medicine to hold the arm in the correct position. For me, this project was aimed at self-discovery and was partly a personal matter, to open new horizons for the integration of fashion and medicine. I want my future to contribute to changing public perception of disability. The bag, being a stylish and fashionable accessory, helps normalize and aestheticize the use of medical devices, promoting social inclusion. It shows how fashion design can be used to address medical problems, offering innovative and creative solutions. For me, this is a step toward creating a more inclusive and supportive society where every person, regardless of physical abilities, can feel comfortable and confident.