Artist Statement
I create costume performances, installations and drawings.
Performance is my prime medium because it’s active, direct, time-based and energetic. I’m a very hyper-active person and I want to communicate with my audience. I can’t stand being passive, I enjoy being in control. When making a new work, I’m starting out with an autobiographical dilemma and relate it to in a broader social phenomenon. I enlarge this dilemma and focus on a way to create a situation that can translate this.
From here on I develop the performance with a character, a costume and a setting.
It’s all quite theatrical, and baroque. I use humor as a bate for my audience.
The usage of costumes is a necessity to transform into my characters. When wearing my costumes, i become my characters. The costumes cover me from head to toes. I walk differently, move differently and feel differently. The costumes are made out of fabrics, ceramics, plastics, animal parts, protheses. I don’t work with a pattern, i moulage them intuitively around my body. I do make scaled sketches and i draw pictures related to the costume to get to know the shape, the ratios and the feel of it.
The masquerade helps the viewer and me to get in the situation i’ve created. It’s supported by lightning, setting and music.
I’ve always been fascinated by the manipulation of identity through dressing. Ever since I was young i wanted to be a fashion designer. Then i became to realize that it’s was the manipulation of the expectations of the other created by image-building that interested me most.
I’m inspired by the notion of the other in relationship to (contemporary) freak shows. The relationship between voyeurism, exploitation of another human being, the spectacle, it’s all such paradox with our moral humanist standards. They are an example of our unpleasant side.
The mechanism horror-movies use to showcase the morals of western society, exploit our fears and attract by repulsion are another example of this interest. I’m amazed by the ambiguity and dissonance of these human phenomenons.
I want to confront my viewer with the shadow sides of the mind. Make them experience emotions you don’t experience on a daily basis, cross their own borders in a time and place of mystery and paradoxes. My method can be described as aggressive, I violate the audience personal space.
There’s no room to decide if you want to be part of it.
I create costume performances, installations and drawings.
Performance is my prime medium because it’s active, direct, time-based and energetic. I’m a very hyper-active person and I want to communicate with my audience. I can’t stand being passive, I enjoy being in control. When making a new work, I’m starting out with an autobiographical dilemma and relate it to in a broader social phenomenon. I enlarge this dilemma and focus on a way to create a situation that can translate this.
From here on I develop the performance with a character, a costume and a setting.
It’s all quite theatrical, and baroque. I use humor as a bate for my audience.
The usage of costumes is a necessity to transform into my characters. When wearing my costumes, i become my characters. The costumes cover me from head to toes. I walk differently, move differently and feel differently. The costumes are made out of fabrics, ceramics, plastics, animal parts, protheses. I don’t work with a pattern, i moulage them intuitively around my body. I do make scaled sketches and i draw pictures related to the costume to get to know the shape, the ratios and the feel of it.
The masquerade helps the viewer and me to get in the situation i’ve created. It’s supported by lightning, setting and music.
I’ve always been fascinated by the manipulation of identity through dressing. Ever since I was young i wanted to be a fashion designer. Then i became to realize that it’s was the manipulation of the expectations of the other created by image-building that interested me most.
I’m inspired by the notion of the other in relationship to (contemporary) freak shows. The relationship between voyeurism, exploitation of another human being, the spectacle, it’s all such paradox with our moral humanist standards. They are an example of our unpleasant side.
The mechanism horror-movies use to showcase the morals of western society, exploit our fears and attract by repulsion are another example of this interest. I’m amazed by the ambiguity and dissonance of these human phenomenons.
I want to confront my viewer with the shadow sides of the mind. Make them experience emotions you don’t experience on a daily basis, cross their own borders in a time and place of mystery and paradoxes. My method can be described as aggressive, I violate the audience personal space.
There’s no room to decide if you want to be part of it.
