Madeline Mikolajewski: Kikimora

My collection is inspired in part by pagan folklore and fairytales. These kinds of stories are often intended to spur fear and wonder in children. I am interested in referencing these ideas of decaying childhood memorabilia and fantasy. The memories of childhood are often distorted and accompanied by a sense of awe that is reminiscent of the utopian horrors of folklore. There is an eerie excitement to the concepts of the made up but dangerous worlds. Excess imagery from print and surface alteration communicate the otherworldly fascination associated with these ideas. I’ve chosen five archetypes for my collection and each character has a unique perspective on the surreal. I use unexpected combinations of prints and textures to provoke uneasy sentimentality to reference fairytale figures. The five main archetypes drawn from fairy tales represented in my collection are- the trickster, unclean dead, hermit, child and the high priestess.