For hundreds of years, Scottish people have been defined by their family names, which represent a clan and a territory. This kinship causes an intertangling of lives and a strong link between the people and their piece of land. As illustrated in Bill Forsyth’s 1983 film ‘Local Hero’, this bond is particularly prevalent in small coastal communities, where a narrow stretch of beach can be much more important than the money it’s worth to sell. The film features fishermen, who have a similar connection to their area of sea as it is their livelihood and their home. Fishermen rely on the abundance of nature, while simultaneously wreaking havoc on the environment by disrupting the ecosystems and discarding equipment in the water. There is an internal struggle in Scotland between the people’s love of nature and their reliance on the fishing industry.

‘Blood Ties’ explores the links between community and environment in Scotland, using colours inspired by the landscapes of ‘Local Hero’, textures derived from tangled fishing nets and plastic ocean waste, along with the chunky wool of fishermen’s jumpers. The woollen garments are woven into, symbolising the interweaving of people and place in Scottish communities. Represented in hand-embroidered sound waves is the climatic final scene of ‘Local Hero’, which shows the protagonist returning to his city life and dreaming of the Scottish village he visited. Silhouettes are inspired by a range of historical garments, from 1860s gowns to Rei Kawakubo’s 2D pieces.