The heavens are not a more beautiful blue when they are girdled with clouds of gold
Two Dance Performance across the National gallery with different costumes
15 min long
During a night event at the National Gallery, I danced in front of Turner's painting Ulysses Deriding Polyphemus. Inspired by the French fairy tale Donkey Skin, I co-designed two outfit with a costume and a jewellery designer for the event. "This fairy tale tells the story of a princess who makes impossible demands to avoid giving her consent (she asks for a dress in the colors of the weather, the sun, and the moon). It echoed the current political situation in my home country, France. Can we truly give our consent when there are no other options?”
The costume reflects Turner's palette, while the dance embodies the transition from sunset to moonrise.
This performance was made possible thanks to the talented creators with whom I had the privilege of collaborating:
Moon costume:
Costume: Chloe Dooston-Graube
Body jewellery piece made for the performance: Jade Eastwood
Jewellery: Alexandra Björk Vilhjalmsdottir
Sun costume:
Corset: made by Chloe Dooston-Graube fabric painted by me
Organza sleeves: Chloe Dooston-Graube
Trousers: Juliette Manju
Jewellery: Laura Ximena
🌸 Click here to learn about the making of this piece 🌸
I painted the fabric so the costume echoes Monet’s Water Lilies at the National Gallery. Chloe then sewed the painted fabric into a corset.
After talking with the jewellery designer Jane Eastwood, she created this amazing body piece from the inspirations I had. All designs are hers.
My fascination with textiles blossomed from a previous piece crafted with found fabric. Though somewhat chaotic, it carries a harmony of colours, a blend of references and materials that interest me, weaving together a subtle yet evocative narrative.