THE COSSACK, THE QUEEN & CANDY N.2 . 2019

Touch me please!” is what these ToTems are saying!

 With the Queen & Cossack Totems and Candy stool, I expanded and grown the whimsical group of objects that form the ToTem family.

Inspired by Oskar Schlemmer's - "The Triadic Ballet", the pieces explore the materiality of the burel wool fabric’s vibrant colours and unique 3-dimensional patterns as emotional and evocative tactile forms.

These fabric patterns integrate the refinement and skill of the artisans that spend many hours sewing the intricate 3D patterns at the Burel factory – in the Portuguese mountains - bringing to light old craft.

Playing with human scale (the biggest totem is 2.55 meters in height, the middle is 1.9 meters and the smallest is 460mm respectively) texture and colours, they were conceived to respond to the grandeur of the Local Milan exhibition space - an old Milanese Period Palazzo.

With these pieces, the proportions of the totems were strained and exaggerated to create a grotesque effect as if they were giant anthropomorphic toys. Or pieces from "Alice in Wonderland" with the thin stretched ring reminiscent of a ruff collar on the Queen or the very long cylinder that forms the head of the Cossack.

The Totems captivate with their personality, forming an emotional connection. They are invitations to interact; seat and play, welcoming games of frill ruffling and patting.