Du monocycle

2017

“Here, he is going to end up riding a unicycle between the waves of Bazin! » Incantation spoken towards a character of the cartoon « Sesame Street », during his plan to escape from the children's bed sheet on which he was printed.

All Tie & Dye fabrics that appear on these pieces are Bazins from Mali. These prestigious and popular fabrics in West Africa require different craftsmanship for their production. Stemming from the indigo tradition, Bazin is a contemporary, urban craft, rich in techniques, inventiveness and creativity. The work follows a very specific protocol and takes place in several stages: drawing, folding, tying, various dye baths, drying, beating... These were all carried out by hand in the workshops of Modibo Samaké and Mariam Coulibaly, whom I had the honor and the chance to meet in Bamako.

The cuts of these pieces were inspired by loose-fitting garments known worldwide for their different cultural affiliations: Japanese Yukata, West African Gown, Indo-Pakistani Kurta, and North African Ghandoura.

All the fabrics have been reworked in our atelier in Brussels. Through sewing machine embroidery, other motifs and decorative elements have been inlaid or applied so that their journey ends in the land of surrealism.

Photography: Ilan Weiss

Make-up: Brigitte Petit

Hair Style: Sandrine N'sita