Tailor-Made
About the project
Tailor-Made is an active participatory project that looks insight into individuals have a relationship with cancer through wearable art. It allows participants to learn about the microscopic features of tissue samples and to use it as stimulus to design their own jewellery piece telling their own personal stories of their cancer journey. The process of this project involves on three-way partnership between artist/scientist/community to promote cancer awareness & research, archive memories and break social taboos in life.
(All image credits: Robert Taylor)
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/just_breathe_ring.png?itok=y_oL4e9t)
Tailor-Made: Just Breathe Ring, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/participant_portrait_with_ear_climber.png?itok=-6qM2HkS)
Tailor-Made: Participant Portrait with Ear Climber, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/son_and_mum.png?itok=O_QdbyJV)
Tailor-Made: Son and Mum, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/young_person_looking_her_resin_jewellery_pendant.png?itok=0RZP3Cci)
Tailor-Made: Young Person Looking at Resin Jewellery, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/young_person_s_pendant.png?itok=HC4-LvRb)
Tailor-Made: Clasped Hand Pendant, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/young_person_s_resin_pendant.png?itok=idjMjsre)
Tailor-Made: Resin Pendant, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/cancer_cell_inspired_ear_climbers.png?itok=LNkhI_gy)
Tailor-Made: Ear Climbers, 2022
![](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/owl_carousel/public/cancerous_tissues.png?itok=u121hckW)
Tailor-Made: Cancerous Tissues, image credit: Prof T Marafioti Lab, 2022
About the artists
![Two women lean on each other and smile to the camera](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/sites/culture_online/files/styles/large_image/public/ayse_and_kassandra.jpg?itok=Am9MZejO)
Ayse U. Akarca is a research fellow at UCL Cancer Institute and works in the team of Prof. Teresa Marafioti. Ayse is involved in the research that focuses on the development and application of tissue- based assays to study molecules that have novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potentials. She uses computerised image analysis tools for tumour microenvironment related studies to investigate the mechanisms underpinning cancer biology. Ayse is also an artist and she uses her artistic skills to create abstract paintings inspired by her scientific work. She is very much keen to explore creative ideas to experiment and understand their impact on cancer awareness and research in life by attracting wider society