Carmel O'Brien

'MADamE B'

Carmel O'Brien is based in Glasgow, where she studied Fashion Design and Manufacture at Cardonald College. She has participated in various group exhibitions and collaborations, as well as designing for artists on a commission basis.

Material and contextual ambiguity are central to her fascination with the use of clothing as a technology and mode of evolution. Her current work operates in the liminal area between sculpture and fashion design, with a nod to theatre and performance.

'MADamE B' centres around unique, labour intensive garments that convincingly harness some of the aesthetics of commercial retail and couture, using unorthodox techniques, aimed at testing perceptions of material and aesthetic value. The work is exhibited in the context of a gallery/pop-up shop, inspired by Claus Oldenburg's Store of 1961 and early surrealist/DADA art.