The Art of Letting Go: An Editorial by Sean + Seng

Sean + Seng met Mary in 1999. When they first moved to London Sean was sharing a house with an art student who was studying at Camberwell College. She introduced him to Mary, whom she'd met in her drawing course. Mary is an artist in her ninth decade on this earth, she's quite shy, and she creates for herself and only herself. Her art is made from recycled materials and takes many forms, from sculpture, to poetry, to fashion objects.

She repurposes or throws away everything she makes. Permanence is of no interest to her; ephemerality rules. “She’s completely refreshing as she’s so unmoved by what we’d consider to be fashionable,” said Sean + Seng. “For example, we remember her needing a comfortable pair of shoes once. She bought some brogues from a shop, but they squeezed her toes a little, so she cut off the toe caps. And then because they were a little dull, she painted them blue."

In this editorial, Sean + Seng mix SSENSE fashion with Mary’s wearable art pieces and her personal collection of sculptures, with styling inspired by the way Mary dresses. When asked how important it is for her work to remain playful and fun Mary responded, “Very important. Life is surreal for us oldies.”