Damien Poulain: Totem 49

Inspired by ancestral sculptures and religious fetishes, in Totem 49 designer Damien Poulain has reinterpreted the notion of the symbolic nature of the totem by creating forty-nine hand-painted totems from reclaimed wood. By approaching contemporary concepts including politics, design, fashion and society, Poulain has reworked the ideology of the totem within a framework to which we can relate.

Says Poulain: “My totems attempt to make solid, timeless objects from fleeting events of the 21st century, allowing for reflection on the colossal power of the image and the role of new tribes and mythology in our increasingly secular society.”

The totems will be presented in the gallery to create an insightful and thought-provoking exhibition that questions the roles and position of our modern-day icons and the significance and influence they assert, from the Berlin Wall to Britney Spears’ shaved head.

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