3 minute read
Milan Natsu: FLOWERS FLAW FLESH
Artist Milan Natsu, has got the remarkable chance to share her art pieces with millions of people because of her large following on TikTok, @eclecticwreck.
For this reason, I will always pride myself on my most controversial videos. The anger provoked by art is just as valid as any other emotional response tied to the viewer’s experience. The hate I receive only drives me further past that unspoken threshold that separates true art from aesthetics.
Milan's art takes several forms; she never confines her artistic development to a particular medium. She creates garments inspired by Helmut Lang's exquisite yet rowdy silhouettes from his 2018 spring runway collection, Yohji Yamamoto's timeless designs, and Maison Margiela's unwavering determination to revolutionize fashion. Milan began dabbling in stitching because she adores reclaiming an underestimated art form that is perceived as feminine and domestic,
There’s something so beautifully tedious about embroidery and I’d like it to be seen as the divine feminine medium it is.
But most importantly, her infamous flower-centered makeup looks on TikTok,
What truly draws people in is the unnerving atmosphere I create between the delicate look of fragile flowers against skin, contrasting the melodramatic expressions I wear. This is all tied together with hauntingly serene string quartets. I embrace the female experience with such an intense and raw devotion, it will always seep its way into my art. My personal definition of femininity is ever-changing, the male gaze is far too limiting to suit how I express my identity. My perception is known only to myself, and can only be communicated through my artwork.
Her idea sparked in the middle of a shift at an Italian restaurant, as she is clearing a table, she is careful to keep the glasses perfectly symmetrical.
Balancing one on my left forearm and coaxing the second to the edge of the table, I lift it onto me. It’s heavy and I feel my arms tremble, but I manage to regain my composure. With my head held high, I make my way to the kitchen when I am overcome by this indescribable feeling. I have never felt so divinely feminine as I did in that moment. The stability and strength to lift more than I felt I could, my elegant and deliberate movements, the mettle of my posture, the balance I possess. This feeling, this powerful contrast, is what inspired my flower makeup looks.
