REJOICE! zine (manifesto as tutorial)

This “manifesto as tutorial” describes a practice of making that shows images of hands mending and washing garments, displaying an act of care to preserve and prolong the life of the belonging.

The cover displays an image of hands washing a garment, displaying an act of care to preserve and prolong the life of the belonging. The design of the zine is to be easy to reproduce and fit comfortably in the palm of the hand. Many of the pages contain images of hands mending, and when you hold it in your hand, it looks like you are holding hands with that of the zine.

I’m greatly inspired by Mierle Laderman Ukeles, who set a precedent for framing the act of care and maintenance as art. She used the arts space to highlight the labor that often goes overlooked in daily life as honored artworks and performances. I looked to her 1969 “CARE” manifesto for inspiration. In her words, “Everything I say is Art is Art. Everything I do is Art is Art.”

Special thanks to Kathleen Ma, who helped me refine and edit the text.