Fruit with eyes, cracked eggs and other bits of whimsy populate multidisciplinary artist Polina Korobova’s first-ever scarf. Better known by her moniker Glitter Queen, Korobova has long built a practice around maximalism and an irreverent visual language that dazzles between art and fashion. Food has also become a recurring part of that world, often appearing in unexpected forms to bring “the grotesque together with the delicious”, as Korobova quips.
A closer look at the scarf and it feels almost like one of Korobova’s image worlds compressed into a square, with familiar ingredients and eyes appearing where you least expect them. The format gives her maximalism a defined frame while still leaving room for the abundance that characterises her work, carrying the humour of her drawings into something that can leave the studio with its wearer. For the design, Korobova and her longtime collaborator Nydia Shiang had been exploring what she calls “food that looks like art and art that looks like food”. And of course, there was no better person to photograph Korobova wrapped in the finished accessory than Shiang, carrying that same maximalist visual language into the shoot. “Nydia has been someone who translates what sometimes I’m not able to share through images and encourages me to go bigger and bolder,” Korobova shares.
And to celebrate the scarf, she brought its visual world quite literally into an intimate gathering at home with friends. A cake-decorating workshop hosted by Dapiku Sweets took its cues from elements found across the scarf, while Korobova created cake sculptures that were displayed in a cake fridge for friends to bring home. For the artist, it was another way of letting the imagery she works with spill into the celebration itself.
Much of Korobova’s practice has also been shaped in conversation with other creatives, allowing the work to pick up new perspectives as it develops. It is a way of working that has seen her ideas glide easily between different mediums, with each collaboration adding something to the wider visual universe she is building around them. Here, Korobova discusses the thinking behind her debut scarf design, its transformation into an in-person installation and the role of art in bringing people together.
Hi Polina, how did the idea for this project first come about and why did this feel like the right moment to bring it to life?
This is my first time exploring making an ‘object’ that can be sold to more people instead of a one-of-a-kind artwork, although the process has been super long. The idea came about after I designed something similar for Hendrick’s and launched it together with them during a very special event. I fell in love with the feeling it gave people. The energy in the room was instantly electric, maybe because of the eclectic nature of the design. I don’t know why now felt like the right time, but I just decided to try it.
What was the main inspiration behind the scarves, both visually and conceptually?
I’ve never been the kind of girl that would find scarf designs necessarily interesting, so I wanted to create something that can be worn by other maximalism appreciators. And visually, I thought, “How do I put everything I’m thinking about in one image?”
Talk us through the design process. How did you develop the prints, colours and overall look of each piece?
I started with a drawing. As someone who is still trying to grasp the concept of technology, I had to start with a simple pencil sketch first, followed by transferring it to Procreate. From there, I was just trying to see what would work well together: “Is this watermelon going next to a cigarette, or maybe a strawberry with eyes?” As someone who is trained in painting and not digital media, it’s always a very hands-on experience for me. Giving up everything I’m used to and learning how to open the layers tab was very humbling. After getting the outline of what was happening sorted, I started colouring. The most difficult part was actually choosing the colour of the background, which is something I did last.
From a production perspective, what went into making the scarves?
I had amazing support with this project. After graduating from Lasalle years ago, I kept many meaningful connections and one of them is Sil Vu, the person behind the extraordinary brand Ngài from Vietnam. Sil and I collaborated on one of my bespoke outfits and, during a fitting in his studio in Ho Chi Minh City, I asked if he would be open to helping guide me through this process. We chose materials and printed the first sample, attempting to do it on a see-through material. I really disliked how the first round looked, so we explored a see-through chiffon that felt much more suitable. Still not 100% happy, I adjusted the drawing, lightened some elements, added a bright blue frame and asked to try a thicker fabric too. The final round came in two materials and three sizes, and I chose the one that felt most special. It was months of packages going back and forth between us.
Were there any challenges in translating the designs from an initial idea into a finished product?
Yes! My style is whimsical and intricate. The biggest challenge was to make sure that the choice of material supports and elevates the design.
Who did you have in mind when creating the scarves and how do you imagine people wearing or styling them?
Anyone, really. Someone who loves maximalism, weird things and accessorising on top of accessorising, or someone who simply wants to own a little piece of art, whether hanging it on their bag or in their home.
The launch also brought together a number of other creatives. Why was collaboration important to you for this project and how did you choose the people you wanted to work with?
With everything I do, I see it as an ‘experience’, meaning that everything around the ‘object’ or thing you are working on should be inspired by or be a continuation of the imagination. And nothing I do is ever a lone project. I love bringing people together and the little launch at home was no exception. First of all, it’s more fun and second, I just think the product becomes so much more meaningful when you bring other people’s visions into it. For this event, it was very simple: I wanted to give the project another visual dimension and that was together with Nydia. I also wanted to create an actual edible element for the event and that’s where Dapiku came in. The event was a manifestation of the elements in the scarf coming to life.
“Nothing I do is ever a lone project. I love bringing people together. I just think that the product would be so much more meaningful if you bring other people’s visions into it.”
What did each collaborator bring to the project and did working with them change or expand the way you initially imagined the scarves?
To start with, Nydia has been a longtime collaborator and someone very special to me because of our shared inclination towards maximalism, whimsy and weirdness. Nydia translates what I’m sometimes unable to express through images and encourages me to go bigger and bolder. One of the things we have been exploring is the idea of “food that looks like art and art that looks like food”, playing with textures and memories and bringing the grotesque together with the delicious. We would literally set up a table and, one by one, bring items into the frame that excited us.
We made one inspired by the scarf too! Just like the scarf, our images feature cracked eggs and roses with eyes that feel like they are staring at you. Nydia was also the one who shot the images of me wrapped in the scarf, capturing that overbearing clutter that is in my head and, well, on the scarf too.
Continuing with the theme of food, I’m also collaborating with Aliff and JY from Dapiku Sweets, a dessert label known for fun, locally inspired flavours delivered with warmth and creative flair. For our intimate event at home, the guys created a special cake for guests to decorate themselves, inspired by elements from the scarf. We had sprinkles, pearls and delicious frosting.
Finally, how do you see this project growing from here?
This is my first time trying something like this, but one thing I know for sure is that with everything I will be working on next, I would like to create an experience around it. For example, during both showcases I will have a real cake fridge with cake sculptures in it, so everyone, if it’s not a scarf or hanging piece, can take a piece of my joy home. Oh, and I’m absolutely trying to go to pastry school.
A limited drop of Korobova’s scarf, prints, sculptures and other designs will be available during In-Between at New Bahru from 28 to 30 August.
