Lest We Forget
Pauley Matthews
This T-shirt project, titled "Lest we forget," uses abstract wing motifs and British Sign Language symbols for love to create a layered, meaningful tribute to my late grandmother, blending personal storytelling with BSL awareness in a striking graphic composition
Design Brief
Design a motif for a T-shirt from an abstraction of your hands.
For my first project assignment, Making a T-shirt with the principles of abstraction and composition. I dedicated this project to my late grandmother, titling it "Lest we forget" as a reminder of my origins and current path. My main design features a wing motif, created from a repeated finger pattern, on the back of a t-shirt. I incorporated the BSL (British Sign Language) symbol for love (hands in a heart shape) on the left chest. Initially central, I shifted it for aesthetic reasons
Description of the Project
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Beyond the love symbol, I also integrated the BSL letters for L.O.V.E. into a heart-shaped mosaic, which, when overlaid, forms the BSL sign for love. The reason was to help raise awareness for BSL. For the background of this main graphic, I used inverted and repeated abstract wing patterns to create a suitable frame. I always had the intention of giving it a physical ripped effect, but as I was just playing around in the graphic stage, one stood out, and I liked it so much that I also included the digital "ripped" effect, which was ultimately incorporated into the design to add depth and style. The title and finger wings are placed on the upper back, symbolising my grandmother as a guardian angel.
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About me
New academic avenues have opened up for me at The Open University, a 42-year-old neurodiverse man, allowing me to study in ways I couldn't before.