Dr Cyana Madsen

Biography

I am a curator, cultural producer, lecturer, and researcher exploring the relationship between material culture, biography, and critical curatorial practice.

I am the co-founder of the experimental fashion exhibition space MADSEN SYLVESTER STUDIO located in Ramsgate, UK. I use exhibition-making practice to develop collaborative, innovative, and engaging display strategies and to open dialogues between the researcher and the local community outside of a major cultural centre. Studio projects examine narratives around the dressed body, material culture, and fashion more broadly.

Since 2023, I have been Course Leader MA Fashion Curation and Cultural Programming, where I led the course through reapproval, updating the course curriculum to reflect developments in the field including global critical theory, community co-production, inclusive and accessible exhibitions and events, and collaborative practice. Embedded exhibition and events programming enriched students' practical collections-based, exhibition, and events programmings skills to improve empoyability in the sector.

In 2024-2025 I developed and delivered the first-ever fashion cultural programming-focused cross-course postgraduate elective at London College of Fashion, and I have been an Associate Lecturer and Unit Leader across interdisciplinary courses at London College of Fashion, Central Saint Martins, and Chelsea College of Arts, supporting BA and MA students through lectures, seminars, tutorial, and assessment.

In October 2025, I joined the AHRC-funded project 'A Museum of Uncollected Things' (PI Dr Ellen Sampson, Co-PI Dr Andrew Richardson) as Research Fellow, based at Northumbria University. This project works in partnership with London Museum and local communities, to identify, examine, and generate responses to absences in museum fashion collections.

Originally from the west coast of Canada, I received my BA in 2006 from Toronto Metropolitan University undertaking a career in broadcasting as an archivist and production manager, prior to transitioning to commercial styling and costuming for film and television. After relocating to the UK, I worked in the Fashion and Decorative Arts Collection at London Museum, supporting day-to-day collections work with a specific focus on the Francis Golding Collection. I graduated from London College of Fashion’s MA Fashion Curation and Cultural Programming degree program with a Distinction in 2019.

In 2024, I received my doctorate for my AHRC techne-funded research (in collaboration with University of the Arts London and the Museum of London) titled 'Curatorial Interruption: Critical analysis of sources of decision-making bias in dress/fashion curators and examination of the impact of curatorial bias on wearer/object biography in worn clothing acquired by institutional collections in the United Kingdom'.

I have worked with clothing collections and archives at The Contemporary Wardrobe Collection, Fashion and Textile Museum, London College of Fashion, the Museum of London, and Savile Row tailoring house Huntsman. Freelance clients include Artquest, curator Charlotte Cotton, editor Penny Martin, SHOWstudio and artist Dr Jane Wildgoose. I have contributed to projects for brands including Chanel Beauty, Chanel Culture Fund, Miu Miu, Nike, and FARFETCH. My work has been exhibited at the London Museum, London College of Fashion, OXO Bargehouse, The Horse Hospital and MoMA.

My current research focuses on critical curatorial practice, curatorial bias, and what I have termed “curatorial interruption”, authorship of history through institutional practice, extra-sensory exhibition strategies, ethical material and immaterial (including digital) practice, and wearer and object biographies.