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Crafted Liberation From unwanted headscarves to stadium seats

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Nationality
Australia
Group
RK Collective
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#WomenLifeFreedom #ProtestDesign #Upcycling #Solidarity

About Project

Crafted Liberation is a participatory design project spanning Sydney, Australia (product and project development), Tehran and other cities in Iran (headscarf collection), and locations including Eindhoven, Jakarta, Zlín, Berlin, and Älmhult. Originating in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini and the Women. Life. Freedom protests, the project began by collecting unwanted headscarves from Iranian women and transforming them into symbolic stadium seats. Once an emblem of oppression, the ‚hijab’,or headscarf has been reinterpreted as a medium of resistance and solidarity. The donated headscarves were combined with recycled plastic in collaboration with Australian research partners, creating a new fiber composite material that was compression-moulded into stadium seating.

The final seat design is scheduled for installation in Village Green Stadium beginning in 2026. As a landmark venue that has long hosted local community culture and international sporting events, Village Green Stadium will introduce seating that functions not only as furniture but also as a public artwork carrying messages of resistance and collective solidarity.

Since its launch in 2023, the project has spread through international exhibitions and networks. These showcases shared the process of transforming a symbol of oppression into one of care and solidarity, creating opportunities for communities to connect across regions and borders.

More than mere material innovation, the project integrates co-creation and storytelling. Over 550 women worldwide have anonymously donated headscarves, thus each seat now embodies their memories and stories. This expresses care, beauty, and solidarity, presenting a design practice that transforms waste and marginalized objects into social-meaningful infrastructure. Crafted Liberation reconfigures everyday objects as bridges between people, society, and the environment, proving that design can serve as a powerful catalyst for change.

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