Daphne Karstens (1991) combines sculpture and costume to create experimental wearable sculptures, costumes, performances and installations. Her work focuses on experimentation with materials, shape and structure on and around the body. She often works with unconventional materials and combines the individual qualities of materials with shapes and structures. She wants to explore and redefine the boundaries and possibilities of costume and wearable sculpture and show the possibilities when costumes are approached as more then a garment.

 

She works as wearable sculpture artist, costume designer and performance maker on different projects internationally with a focus on the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom where she has worked with companies like: Theater Neumarkt, Bonte Hond, MAAS Theater, Alluminous Light Art Festival, Floriade Expo, NUCLEUS collective, Lorraine Smith Dance, ICK Dance, Down the Rabbithole Festival and many more.

 

Her work ‘PING’ has been exhibited and performed around the world, in 2019 in Russia (‘Innovative Costume of the 21st Century: The Next Generation’ exhibition in Moscow at the A.A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum and the State Historic Museum), Finland (‘Critical Costume 2015’), China (‘Evolving Design for Performance’ exhibition at the ‘National Centre for Performing Arts’, Bejing and ‘Mingyuan Contemporary Art Museum’, Shanghai), United Kingdom (‘CONFLUX’ exhibition 2015 in London) where ‘PING’ won the ‘Trinity Buoy Wharf Trust Prize’ and Taiwan (‘World Stage Design 2017’) where ‘PING’ was awarded the silver award in Costume Design.

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She obtained her BA in Scenography at the Academy of Theatre and Dance, Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in 2013. She continued her education at the MA in Costume Design for Performance at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London (2014). Nowadays she teaches at the Theatre Design course at HKU (Utrecht School of the Arts) and occasionally is invited as guest lecturer at London College of Fashion among other universities.