This season we were inspired by the collaborative work of Bloeme van Bon and Geran Knol of Park Pardon and their work “Schijngelaten,” an ongoing series of one-off papier-maché handpainted masks.
Intricately made, each mask is unique, featuring thoughtful colors, patterns and textures. We incorporated these masks into our FW23 Collection with our Renata Tee and new Theo Sweatshirt.
What led you to start making masks? How did you get into this?
When we started working together in around 2011 we were taking different approaches to translate our drawings into sculptures by using papier-mâché amongst other materials. We were making life-sized figures and used those to draw stories. The masks in a way derived from there, and they took a life of their own these recent years.
We are drawn to your color assortment, design, and motifs. What inspiration do you use for color palettes and designs?
We always want to work very intuitively without any planning or sketching beforehand. Because we both have our own artistic practices as well to get caught up in we want Park Pardon first and foremost to be a space where we have fun spending time and working together. We hope that joy comes across in the masks as well.
Can you describe your workspace and a typical workday?
We’ve been in our current workspace since November 2022, and it’s a very short walk from both our living spaces. The space is L-shaped and divided between a space where we make the masks on our molds and do the more messy things like sanding and varnishing. We also have our drying racks where we let the papier-mâché dry, which usually takes 5 to 7 days. In the front of the space, we have a large workbench where we paint the masks.
We usually make around thirty masks at a time. The largest wall in the space is used for presentation. We also use this ourselves to see how the masks connect to each other and which ones need something extra.
A workday consists of either making the actual masks or painting them, which takes up most of the time. We start the day with coffee and talk and laugh a lot, and at the moment we like to listen to obscure radio stations through Radio Garden.
