Heavy is the crown who wears it
An adornment
Of power
Of subjugation
Of each other, at once
Embellishment sat atop my head
I wear ornately
O’ my loves marvel at me for
I want to be adored

A fascination with ornamentalism; why do we wear such impractical adornments on the top of our skulls, framing our face, eluding to purity, eluding to a saintly being, a demure woman wears the crown, yet her demure manner is of nothing once she embodies the ornate embellishment atop her head, she becomes the matriarch, scorn is painted upon her face and suddenly she is the most emphatic person to grace your presence. Historically, ornamentalism was embraced as reprieve from the ache of living. Ornate, intricacies in our homes, in our fashion, on the faces we parade around to distract us, yes, but to remind us of our decorative desires; but this slowly faded, and the desire to be modern destroyed its frivolousness.
Oh to be modern, to be sleek
and chic
and clinical.
Because a bejeweled woman cannot be taken seriously.
Why can I not have my cake – dressed with sprinkles and fondant roses, piped with passion and distraction, laced with candy and colour - and eat it too?

Olivia Asher is an emerging artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau, currently in the last year of her BFA. Olivia focuses on process-based making — weaving materiality into imagery.

On view until April 27 2023