Nicole Lim

Optimism v Adversity

Inspired by Voltaire's satirical fiction Candide (1759), I wanted to explore the notion of being blissfully unaware and overly optimistic about negative experiences and traumatic events. I continued studying and analysing Candide and the character’s own self-discovery throughout the project, extending my research to other philosophical figures and art movements like Romanticism to establish a backstory for my muse. Delving into the subject of naivety, denial, and imagining a world free from hardships, I explored the fragility of this mindset and leaving sheltered life through imagery of bird nests and Andy Goldsworthy’s natural forms in my circular frame. Crocheted wire sleeves were inspired by chainmail armour and the illusion of security with exposed skin. Surface transfer of painted imagery in the headpiece and frame symbolises the memories and past experiences that foster this worldview, mirroring these ingrained effects on the heart and mind. I set out a goal to explore the contrast of idealism through my muse against the harsh realities of life, counteracting the surrounding space to the body with protruding forms of stretched-out crochet yarn samples.