Damselfrau
(Magnhild Kennedy)
Interview: Could you introduce us to your practice?
Magnhild Kennedy: I make masks. I mainly work with textiles, sewing and beading, often integrating old and used materials. I use basic techniques I have learned from books and YouTube. I don’t draw, design or plan; I just sculpt. When I finish a piece, I take a self-portrait and send it out on Internet highways like Instagram and Tumblr. There the masks find their identity and make a life for themselves.
SC: How did you get into this field and what drew you to masks to begin with?
MK: They emerged alongside making outfits for clubbing, many years ago. I made a few masks for a New Year’s party, and the format stuck with me. I am a collector type – ribbons, lace, ornaments, bits of textiles and old custom jewellery. The masks gave me a place to gather all these things I keep collecting – anything with a personality. I don’t mind if it’s broken. Sometimes it’s even better if it is. Then it already comes with information that helps lead me in the making. For me it’s more like making a sculpture. I have never had a particular interest in masks.
