Gabrielle Sellen

My work has focused on the assemblage of textiles and the readymade, to demonstrate the juxtaposition between the exotic and the industrial. I source curious pipes, exhausts and other mechanical objects, which are then built and sewn into structural totem-like forms.

I progressed from constructing totems with plain fabric to constructing carnival-esque cocoons with Chita, an extravagant, floral, cotton fabric. Chita has been intrinsic to my work not only because of its aesthetics and materiality, but also because it reflects my Brazilian heritage and my subsequent interest in its culture. A photo shoot and experimental film depicting the garments giving birth to the wearer has culminated in this piece; in ‘Cúpula’ the viewer is now invited into a 6ft favela-like shack to observe the innards of the obscure garment that is mounting it.