The Beast

The sculpture conjures a dynamic battle between a dragon and a horse-riding hero.

Inspired by Persian miniatures, Spowart reinterprets these motifs through the lens of corporeality and inner conflict. Her work merges wood carvings and vintage textiles from the historic Tashkent Silk Mill, dyed naturally with red and white onion skins and avocado peels. The soft sculptures, filled with repurposed garments, confront the viewer with a meditation on identity, femininity, and cultural displacement. “I explore corporeality as a site of inner conflict,” says Spowart. “Clothing becomes a metaphor — both a shield and a boundary between the self and society.”

Credits:

London Design Biennale “Surface Reflections” 2025

Pavilion: Silk Road, Teplo

Curator:Alisa Lisovskay

Location: Somerset House, London, UK

Exhibition dares: 04.06.-29.06. 2025