Cabinets of Curiosity

The creation of this collection was inspired by a phenomenon called ‘Cabinets of Curiosity’: private collections from 1600-1800 that could be seen as the predecessors of our modern museums. These collections showcased a wide variety of rare and curious objects, varying from specimens in jars and medical equipment to butterflies, shells and artwork. The collections were designed to spark a sense of wonder in their viewers and to encourage them to think by creating juxtapositions of unexpected objects. My emphasis throughout this project was on creating hand printed textiles experimenting with different techniques such as screen print using discharge, pigments, flock, foils and devore. Every element that is incorporated in my designs was drawn analogically by hand, looking at photography from a visit to the Boerhaave Museum in Leiden, the Netherlands. This museum has evolved out of a 1600s private collection.