Marion Mandeng

My practice centers on transformation. Working primarily with object art and assemblage, I use fabrics and found objects—often tools or materials associated with masculine domains—as the starting point for a sculptural language that questions social roles, perception, and identity.
Crocheting, a technique historically tied to women’s domestic labour, is central to my process. Through the slow act of wrapping objects in cotton thread, I alter their form and obscure their function. This deliberate covering becomes both a symbolic and material gesture—a way to strip the object of its utilitarian identity and allow space for new meaning to emerge. In doing so, I point toward a shift in the roles of male and female elements within society.
The time-intensive nature of this process is intentional. Each stitch reflects the time and attention that must be afforded to women for genuine societal change to occur. The works call for a revaluation of power structures, and their transformation invites the viewer to confront deeply embedded narratives of gender, labour, and visibility.
Many of the pieces exhibit a latent anthropomorphism—a subtle suggestion of the body—allowing viewers to project their own associations. This opens a space for re-...

MA Central Saint Martins