Art by Jobert Tremus

Artist: Jobert Tremus
Artwork Title: Caged Bird
Medium: Fashion Designer

Artist Statement

‘Caged’ Bird is a design made during Political Catwalk, a project that enabled twenty young designers to design outfits for Dutch Politicians, to show that fashion and politics can easily be combined. The artwork features the design captured as follows.

Design. Caged Bird by Jobert Tremus, Fashion Designer, Styling: Ellen Rooijakkers

a. Picture One: Photography: Pasarella Photography
b. Picture Two: Photography: Els Zweerink

Inspiration

‘Caged’ Bird is a design made during Political Catwalk, a project that enabled twenty young designers to design outfits for Dutch Politicians, to show that fashion and politics can easily be combined. I started off my design with a self-made quote ‘Freedom is the decision of the Bird to fly when it’s master opens the cage’ translated in the female voices that never been heard by the suppression and strangulation of men.

I had the honour to design my outfit for Sylvana Simmons from the Dutch party Bij1. As a woman of colour, she had a lot to endure in Dutch politics, but she always stood her ground and made sure she was heard. By talking to her I realized that we still face many inequalities in the Dutch system. That is why I wanted to create an outfit that would elevate her as a person and would visibly show her power and strength. Visible in the design are burned, voting ballots, those represent the female voices/votes that were suppressed and went to waste.

In 1919 women were finally allowed to vote in the Netherlands. The train of the outfit was attached with real metal chains she was visibly and theoretically walking around with the weight of all female voices, which she through off during the show. This was a statement in which she would say ‘It is done, let all our voices be heard’.

About the Artist

Jobert Tremus is a graduate from the fashion and tailoring school in the Netherlands. As a designer Jobert focues on the young unseen bi-cultural creatives. Besides fashion, Jobert focuses on organizing events to highlight and provide them with a platform to showcase their talent and work.