MA Fashion Artefact student Anne Fleur Van Der Vloed spoke to us last year about what her Better Lives scholarship meant to her. As she finishes her MA and prepares to graduate, we caught up with her for the LCFMA17 Graduate Spotlight series to find out more about her time at LCF.
My final collection… is autobiographical. I have lived with chronic pain in my neck, shoulders and back for over ten years. In my research and from personal experience, I found that chronic pain can often take over the identity of people with the condition.I translated my experience of chronic pain into six bodily sculptures.
Each of the six sculptures reflect my experience of pain during the different seasons. For example, the amount of pain in each season corresponds with the sculpture sizes. My skin tone and hair, both different each season, are being reflected in the colour of the pieces and more specifically, the colour of the hair. The sculptures are made from fiberglass and resin. On the one hand, the hard materials reflect the stiffness of the skin. On the other hand, the silicone rubber reflects the qualities skin possesses. The silicone rubber also allowed me to root in the hair, dyed by my own hair dresser. Lastly, different kinds of leather and used leather techniques allowed me to mimic the skin.
Before LCF… I was at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, where I studied Fashion Design. During my first year there I became less interested in designing fashion, and more interested in conceptual fashion. Parallel to my fashion design, I worked in the other departments of my academy like the wood, metal and mould-making workshops, to develop my skills to create the conceptual fashion I had in mind. You could even say I developed myself into an “Artifactian” long before knowing about the MA Fashion Artefact course.
Top tips for new students…
- Do the course because it’s your dream to get to the level of the great alumni and become part of this family – because we are a family!
- Don’t be afraid to experiment and don’t be afraid to fail.
- Try to get scholarships in advance and during the course.
I chose the MA at LCF… because the MA Fashion Artefact is the only course in the world that allowed me to develop my findings from my BA, and where the alumni’s work is something I look up to.
The thing I enjoyed most about the course… is the technicians, who are the absolute best! They have so much knowledge about their craft, and want to help you to learn and challenge yourself.
The biggest challenge for me… was to open up about my struggle with chronic pain, because I don’t want to be the sad person with pain. Now I am so happy with my project – it shows the physical pain, but also the beauty of my self identity.
The best thing about being in London… is that there are possibilities everywhere.
My work in a few words… bodily, sensual, strange, beautiful, crafts.
My biggest inspiration is… Naomi Filmer – artist and luckily my teacher on the MA! She puts all her free time into her students. She helps you to leave your comfort zone, so you can be the best version of yourself and create work that you can be proud of.
At the moment… I’m making metal frames to position my sculptures for future exhibitions. I am also talking to a hospital in the Netherlands, which is very interested in exhibiting my work in the Pain Policlinic – this was actually one of my goals for the project, because I strongly believe it can create possibility in the disability of chronic pain.
LCF is moving to Stratford… but Golden lane is where the magic happens!