And she saw how the sky opened up

Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp

2025

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And she saw how the sky opened up stands at the intersection of the personal and
the political. Rooted in the artist’s lived experience of growing up in Estonia - a
country marked by a history of occupation and the ongoing threat of its return - the
work reflects on how both past and present political power structures shape the lives
of individuals.

Working with themes of female grief, resistance, care, and intergenerational trauma,
the work seeks moments of salvation and hope through togetherness amid
hardships, while critically acknowledging the inherent complexities of the need for
belonging.

Central to the work is the use of costume and sculptural costume as an autonomous
and critical medium, with a strong emphasis on both material and performative
qualities. In this context, costume operates as an embodied practice through which
complex emotional and historical narratives are articulated with empathetic absurdity
and melancholic humour.

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Photographer: Elo Vahtrik and Alies Torfs

Models: Meeli Kombe, Triin Kukk, Marleen Jauk, Lisa Marie Jauk and Karmel Kibena

Thank you: Andreas Kübar, Evelyn Everaerts - Donaldson

 

Supervisors: Myriam van Gucht, Esther Severi, Vaast Colson

 

Awards: Mathilde Horlait-Dapsens Prize and JAT Prize.