A large collection of secondhand plastic bride wedding cake toppers that happened to be in my possession, was the occasion for a series of works. Trying to give shape to faces damaged by the wear and tear of the cheap material over time, I recreated the portraits of these women. Where reproduction was impossible due to altered features, my imagination filled the gaps. 


Wedding cake toppers / bridal portrait, 2020

“I do not remember what they call me,
but I know that the blonde lady on the screen is called Anna.
I cannot tell how I got here,
but I know that my house is the one with the red roses in the back yard.
I do not know whose daughter I am or if I am someone's mother,
but I know that on the right side of the closet I keep my Sunday dress”.

Sunday dress, 2021

Rattles have traditionally been the first toys of infants. They relieve the baby's crying and are developmental important because they stimulate
and coordinate vital sensormotoric faculties. Respectively οbjects with sounds help the elderly suffering from diseases such as dementia to calm,
and are considered great stress relievers, effective for mood enhancement, relaxation, and cognition. In ancient Greece the sound of rattles when
shaken, amused infants and was believed to ward off evil spirits.

My rattles are made for women. In my mind I can almost hear a collective crying.

Rattle toy (so that women do not cry) / ball

Rattle toy (so that women do not cry) / doll with flowers

In ancient Greece when a young woman was about to be married, she would offer her dolls to the goddess who protected her in her childhood.
This was usually the goddess Artemis. The sacrifice of the dolls is a ritual indicated the young girls' transition to adulthood.
The use of dolls functioned as a role-play where the young woman could identify with her future caring role as a mother and experiment with
gender roles, family morals and values.

My rattles are made for women. In my mind I can almost hear a collective crying.

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THALEIA KARPOUZI

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