My collection is inspired by Marina Abramović’s performance ‘Rhythm 0’, in which she presented 72 objects. These ranged from harmless items like grapes and a rose to a gun and a bullet. She invited the audience to use them on her as they wished. Remaining completely passive for six hours, she placed full responsibility in the hands of the viewers, removing herself as an active participant. As the performance progressed, the audience’s behavior escalated from gentle interaction to disturbing acts of violence, ultimately threatening her life. This shift revealed how quickly people can dehumanize others when given permission and no consequences. Deeply moved by this, my collection explores themes of objectification, violence against women, and the layered complexity of human emotion and identity. I aimed to translate the emotional intensity of the performance into fabric, colour, and form. Bold, graphic shapes contrast with organic, distressed textures to reflect a tension between right and wrong; whilst heavy materials such as leather, denim, and wool reinforce the physical and emotional weight of the subject matter.
