And the MoMu Award Goes to... Peiwen Mao
Every year, MoMu awards the work of a master student at the Fashion Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp with a prize for graphic quality. This year, the museum presents not one but two MoMu Awards. One goes to Peiwen Mao for her graduation collection Made in jungle.
What is the inspiration behind your collection?
PEIWEN MAO: "When I was in the third year, I broke my leg in a traffic accident. After the operation, I had to recover for months. I could only get inspiration through books and Pinterest. That's how I stumbled upon an Indian story about pain and recovery that really touched me. It is about the shadow of leopards. When they are injured and can no longer take care of themselves, their shadow comes to life as a black panther. But once they have fed and cared for the leopards, the panthers can no longer become a shadow. So both animals live as partners in the jungle after that."
"My research also led me to the work of American artist Jeff Koons. He makes many sculptures of animals on a large scale but with modern materials and a simple visual language. That kind of silhouette is what I wanted to do in my collection."
How did you translate this inspiration into wearable garments?
PM: "At the beginning of the year, I had three plans: I wanted to incorporate more handwork into my designs, fine-tune my design language and do my best to create complete designs. That's why there is so much macramé, knitting and crochet in the collection. Once the textile choice and design were on point, I could work out the garments more easily."
The MoMu Award goes to a collection with a strong graphic quality. What role does the graphic aspect play in your creative process?
PM: "It is a very important aspect. I am the type of student who likes to do long research and enjoys drawing a lot of experimental things. For this collection, for instance, I made mostly watercolour drawings, because I often draw inspiration from that. When I was in the second semester, I stopped enjoying the drawing process and focused on real garments, It gave me a more direct connection and understanding of fabrics and patterns."
Peiwen Mao’s collection imagery is on display at MoMu Café from now until July 2025. Make sure to read our interview with Jinny Song, the second MoMu Award winner.