Lynn Savery

This work will be on show at Carriageworks from 3-6 September as part of Curatorial+Co.'s Sydney Contemporary 2026 presentation.

Says Lynn Savery of this work, "In this self-portrait, I embrace the trickster archetype, in the sense that I like to break the rules, cross the boundaries and disrupt reigning dress styles with wit and mischief. I love fashion and dressing up every day, banishing the real world for a fictitious one. In England, where I grew up, there is a rich history of fancy dress and when I was young, dressing up cupboards were popular in households, including my own, which was stocked largely with my grandmother’s fashionable cast offs.

"I spent many happy hours playing dress up, making up stories and adventures. I was a great pretender and quickly became fascinated with the wondrous transformative power of fashion. The ability to become someone new, to create a character. Fashion is a springboard to explore the joy of losing and finding oneself and conjuring up worlds. It is an invitation to dream. It is not a trivial pastime but an enriching facet of life. Dogs have also been an important part of my life, offering friendship and companionship and Gertie the greyhound is no exception."