Virginie Jemmely

@talismanie

Elle était texte par l’intelligence du regard

The theme of my collection was taken from the symbolic universe I create through my drawings and paintings. It is replete with archetypal characters. These figures and their actions express in a more or less clear way my emotions and the different facets of my identity. The collection is centered around three archetypes: the businessman, the woman, and the baby. I imagine them going through the best and the worst in life, playing roles, making mistakes, faking it. The collection speaks of the pressure that society places on our actions and our identity. It also talks about our relentless search for both society’s validation and ways to express ourselves. Each of these characters represents a facet of my muse. She refuses to choose one or the other. She refuses definitions. She refuses to settle for one identity. She is everything and its opposite. This collection is a manifesto in favor of the possibility of being multiple, in favor of shifting identities. It plays with violence and political correctness, with what should be shown and what should be hidden, with insolence and modesty. The characters are torn between wanting to denounce norms and accepting them by pretending to adhere to their rules. It shows what is expected to be shown, but most importantly, it makes visible what should be hidden. There is both a fascination and a hatred towards archetypes and codes. These codes are sometimes highlighted, enlarged, sometimes deconstructed or designed inside out. Disturbing illustrations are printed on the linings to mimic baby prints for instance. For sure, there is love for precision and refinement, but also love for the fusion of different codes. There is a form of eroticism to it, at times subtle, at times brutal. Codes mix and merge, they make love.

Discover the video of the collection on défilé-head.ch