[ watch video clip about the object ]

[ watch video about the Red Light District ]

Karolina loves cats and surrounds herself with their likeness. She brought Bettina her least favorite, a wooden feline found on the street. Originally, she planned to bring a lamp but realized that it was ugly to the point that she could not part with it. Karolina works at Amende, a shop on the Zeedijk in the red light district.

Blue Cats Do Not Exist
plaster, lacquer

The owner of the object adores cats. She also likes to project feelings onto objects. I decided to make a cat totem for her and thus add a new piece to her cat collection. Karolina, the owner of the original ugly object, was born in Poland, where ancient Slavic people made totems as part of their religion. The Slavs believed that totems represented real beings onto which they could project thoughts and emotions. As the owner did not like the original cat because of its damage, I focused on making a more perfect and beautiful cat, in the sense of elegance and harmony, clarity and balance. I wanted to underline the cat’s characteristics and give the viewer a sense of peace while looking at it.