You know what smells “of those evenings in Provence, alive with fireflies, where young jasmine plays a descant to the melody of the night and the land”? The legendary fragrance, Miss Dior, according to monsieur Christian Dior. That’s exactly where we’d be if we could travel—at the Miss Dior Exhibition happening now till first November at Le Château de La Colle Noire near Grasse, the global capital of perfumery in the Provence-Alpes Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on the French Riviera.
With the emblematic design codes and timeless yet contemporary spirit of Miss Dior as their muse, 12 artists from around the globe were given carte blanche to interpret and immortalise this fragrance in original works of art. The result is a dozen sculptures and installations that fuse the elixir’s botanical ingredients, its essence of femininity, and its iconic bow—a pointillist satin jacquard ribbon stemming from the best French expertise when the fragrance was created before the 1950s dawned.
Here, we discover all 12 Miss Dior masterpieces of these incredible women, from French sculptor Ingrid Donat and Chinese ceramist, Hua Wang, to Japanese visual artist Haruka Kojin and Spanish painter Marcella Barcelo.
1 / 12
Daishi Luo, Chinese visual artist and designer
Daishi Luo’s work explores the possibilities offered by copper. Passionate about metals, the artist is interested in the multiple scientific and technical possibilities of these materials. Her work invites us to reflect on the relationship between mass production, craftsmanship and art.
2 / 12
Pia Maria Raeder, German sculptor and designer
Pia Maria Raeder seeks to translate her admiration and abstract interpretation of nature in her work. Her most famous collection, “Sea Anemones”, reinterprets the beauty of the seabed with materials like wood and lacquer.
3 / 12
Hua Wang, Chinese ceramist and designer
Hua Wang’s experimental work explores social, political and personal issues through the recurring theme of the link. The artist uses different methods to highlight limitless consumerism and planned obsolescence. Her work is also anchored in the context of China’s rapid urbanization.
4 / 12
Ingrid Donat, French sculptor and engraver
French artist Ingrid Donat lives and works in Paris where she is a sculptor and engraver working mainly in bronze. Her scarified objects and pieces of furniture are a modern renewal of the decorative arts tradition.
5 / 12
Anya Kielar, American Sculptor
Anya Kielar’s works are theatrical installations exploring female forms. Her work draws on a variety of sources, including avant-garde scenography, surrealist collage, post-minimalist sculpture and the decorative arts.
6 / 12
Bethan Laura Wood, British designer
Laura Bethan Wood is a furniture, decorative objects, jewelry and installations designer. She creates her works in relation to the places that house them. Her work uses handcrafted and local materials. It also questions mass consumption patterns and seeks new approaches to make it more sustainable.
7 / 12
Haruka Kojin, Japanese visual artist
Haruka Kojin’s installations are inspired by nature and our relationship to space. She gives special attention to optical effects and reflections. The artist has already collaborated with Dior for the Lady Dior Art project.
8 / 12
Bianca Beck, American sculptor and painter
Bianca Beck’s work is inspired by women’s bodies and their movements. Her large sculptures question the relationship to space and social norms, sometimes recalling Nikki de Saint Phalle’s « Nanas ».
9 / 12
Marcella Barcelo, Spanish painter and illustrator
Marcella Barceló’s drawing and paintings are inspired by her trips to Japan and by Lewis Carroll’s universe. Her drawings reflect a disturbing and fantastic pop atmosphere through the reproduction of the teenage figure.
10 / 12
Mimosa Echard, French visual artist
Mimosa Echard is interested in the creation of hybrid ecosystems where living organisms and the non-living cohabit. Her installations explore the areas of contact between organic and consumption objects through different processes (collages, painting, ceramics…).
11 / 12
Morgane Tschiember, French sculptor and painter
Morgane Tschiember is a complete artist, know for her three-dimensional works that question the relationship between objects and places. The artist examines the artistic practices as a whole and uses different mediums like metal, ceramics, glass and wood. She has already collaborated with Dior for the Lady Dior Art project.
12 / 12
Sabine Marcelis, New Zealander designer
The colorful and luminous universe of Sabine Marcelis unveils installations and geometrical objects, with a strong focus on materials. The designer seeks to create a dialogue between objects and users, always keeping in mind the function and aesthetics of her creations.
