LUSTROUS ARMOUR

SOLO EXHIBITION BY NORA NEAGOE

 

September 12 – October 3, 2025

Artist Talk and Finissage: Friday, October 3 at 06:00 PM

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In her exhibition Nora Neagoe, presents a body of work centred on spiky seashells, moving away from literal depictions of the human body toward natural, abstract forms. The shells captivate artist’s attention because of their tension between fragility and defence, a duality that resonates throughout her practice. Their forms act as metaphors for identity, femininity, and transformation, exploring how vulnerability and protection can coexist in a single object.

Alongside these organic forms, there are incorporated fashion references such as corsets, bags, and sculptural accessories, blending pearls, metal and ceramics to create pieces that are both ornamental and structural. 

The shells become wearable forms, suggesting the performative nature of fashion while questioning the boundaries between the body, adornment, and object. Chains, hard edges, and contrasting textures further emphasize themes of containment, constraint, and transformation, while also referencing the tension between the delicate and the industrial.

The work draws inspiration from the language of couture and design, where structure, embellishment, and materiality intersect. Here, shells are no longer just objects of the natural world, they become poetic artifacts, lustrous and tactile, existing in a space between sculpture, jewellery, and wearable architecture. 

Through the interaction of organic shapes and abstract forms, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how beauty, fragility, and strength can merge into new forms of expression.

In presenting these works, Neagoe explores not just material and form, but also the emotional resonance of objects, the way shapes can suggest narratives of protection, and allure. The shell in the context of fashion is a symbol for protecting oneself from society and forming the spine of our identity.