Princesses and Saints

Justyna Koeke transforms children’s fantasies into wearable sculptures, morphs fashion shows into performances. As a child the artist, together with her sisters, painted her heroes “princesses and saints” which she now translates into reality as a collection of vibrantly colourful outfits full of whimsical detail. These tailored fantasies are brought to life on the bodies of ladies of advanced years. The publication presents the entire project: from the child-like naive drawings, via photographs of the dressed-up models before the sterile backdrop of their retirement home, to fun-loving fashion shows – an equally humorous and critical approach to the correlation of childhood dreams and the reality of getting older, in which the unsolved issues of an increasingly ageing society invariably resonate. The art project, which fluctuates between sculpture, performance and allusions to the fashion world, was presented, among other places, at the Alternative Berlin Fashion Week.

Text in English and German.