Doors Showcase is pleased to present Damselfrau, the first solo exhibition by self-taught maskmaker Magnhild Kennedy.
Damselfrau, which means Maiden Wife in German, is also the Norwegian artist’s pseudonym. This abstruse play with language and identity signals the artist’s penchant for layered meanings and her desire to defy simple interpretation. Her masks are not merely objects of beauty displaying her craftsmanship or even a device of titillating self-concealment for the wearer. They are loaded with history and stories.
Whether exquisitely beautiful or seemingly absurd, the masks are made with delicate fabrics, embroidery, beading and paint. Materials are gathered from many far flung places and different eras - lace inherited from Norway’s first feminist, hair from old Japanese Geisha hair pieces, glass beads picked off the Christmas decorations off Champs-Elysees. They allude to the intimate relationship between past and present as well as the tensions created by fusing diverse elements.
Magnhild Kennedy lives and works in London. She has been practising as a mask maker since 2007. Her masks have been acquired by private collectors and worn by acclaimed electronica duo Royksopp. Damselfrau opens on 20 October, continues until 26 November 2011.
Private view the 20th of October at 6pm to 9pm. Doors Showcase, 20 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DU. Come!
