Totem 49
Solo show at Kemistry Gallery, london
4th June – 18th July 2009

Inspired by ancestral sculptures and religious fetishes, in Totem 49 designer Damien Poulain has reinterpreted the notion of the symbolic nature of the totem by creating fortynine hand-painted totems from reclaimed wood.

By approaching contemporary concepts including politics, design, fashion and society, Poulain has reworked the ideology of the totem within a framework to which we can relate. Says Poulain: “My totems attempt to make solid, timeless objects from fleeting events of the 21st century, allowing for reflection on the colossal power of the image and the role of new tribes and mythology in our increasingly secular society.” The totems will be presented in the gallery to create an insightful and thought-provoking exhibition that questions the roles and position of our modern-day icons and the significance and influence they assert, from the Berlin Wall to Britney Spears’ shaved head.

To accompany the exhibition, a book and giclee prints of the totem have been produced and
are available for purchase.

The whole totems are available for purchase as a collection.

Shell

Berlin Wall

TV Test Card

Comme des Garcons

WWW.

Gareth Pugh

Book + poster

Softcover, 143.3 x 215 mm, 116 pages.
Edition of 450 + 50 signed and stamped
With essays by South African poet Kate Kilalea and Joël Vacheron.
Published by Kemistry Gallery Press, London, 2009
ISBN 978-0-9562698-0-5

Available here: Order book - Totem 49

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Exhibition view

All photography (Totem): Thomas Adank
Retouching images: Touch Digital