Intricate and meticulously crafted, Handiedan’s collages representthe gradual accumulation of layers—not only of materials like wood, metal andpaper, but cultural references as well. Over a backdrop of baroque designsculled from international currencies and antique sheet music, the artist fusesclassic pin-up girl body parts to create her own version of beauty. Sometimesthese beauties might wield an extra arm or two, and everything that liesexposed beyond their garters and brassieres is heavily inked with hand-drawntattoos.
Departing from her rich color palette of beige and burgundy,Handiedan just finished preparing a series of black and white collages for herupcoming group show, “Amsterdynasty” (where she’ll be showing alongside The London Police), which debuts at Denver’s Black BookGallery on May 14. The sleek monochromatic collages turn her figures into femmefatales, exploring the darker side of their classic sensuality. Before headingoff to Denver, Handiedan invited Hi-Fructose into her Amsterdam studio, a digital andartisanal workspace where the artist alternates between working on her computer,sheets of zinc and antique picture frames. Nastia Voynovskaya previewsHandiedan’s latest creations below.
