Honest Skin is a material-based exploration of the invisible marks we carry. Crafted from recycled tea bags, the work embodies a process of engaging with materials to uncover embodied narratives. Inspired by Jane Bennett’s concept of “thing-power,” the garment-like structure reflects on the agency of materials, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between personal history and materiality.

This piece resists conventional interpretation, instead emphasizing the affective and sensory dimensions of artistic engagement. By sewing together tea bags already marked by their use, the work imagines a layer of “honest skin” that externalizes marks typically hidden within. It connects the familiarity of everyday objects with their capacity to hold and reveal meaning.

Honest Skin has been selected for two juried exhibitions, underscoring its connection to contemporary artistic practices exploring new materialism and affective engagement.