Cabbage bra accepted by Wearable Art Awards
Local artist Kirsty van den Bemd. Photo: Jane Bellerby.
Being accepted for the Bizarre Bra section of this year’s Montana Wearable Art Awards Show is an artistic highlight for felt maker Kirsty van den Bemd.
Her hand-felted, eco-friendly cabbage bra, soon to be seen in the wonderfully outrageous and thought-provoking Bizarre Bra section of the Montana Wearable Art Awards Show is inspired by Kirsty’s life experiences and personal take on some of the aspects of nurturing, growth and celebrating the changes in life.
“We grow our own vegetables and are surrounded by the lush greenness of our geographically isolated valley. I’m a maker of felt and I’m a user of natural remedies, so it was a natural progression to celebrate the home-grown remedy of using cabbage leaves for a lactating mother.
“As a mother of twins, 18 years ago, I used the decidedly shapely cabbage leaves from our garden to soothe breast engorgement.” Her part-time work in early childhood education, working with babies and new mothers, has kept her in touch with the merits of the humble cabbage.
The bra, entitled BRAssica Releaf, is made of felted wool with an inlay of hand-dyed silk fabrics and fibres. Delicate white nuno silk butterflies signify the transformation a woman goes through with the birth of her children and new beginnings of life. “White butterflies on cabbages are a common sight.”
Kirsty has been felting for 10 years and is largely self-taught. Workshops she recently attended gave her “an opportunity to upskill and explore other felting techniques, which is exciting.”
Felt is the oldest of manmade textiles and Kirsty enjoys its renewable aspect, reflecting her desire to use eco-friendly natural materials. She has always enjoyed creative pursuits and art projects. She is now looking forward to the Wellington WOW shows, which run from 22 September to 3 October.
Jane Bellerby
