World wars inspire student to be creative

World wars inspire student to be creative

A Victoria University of Wellington student has used a family connection as inspiration for an entry in this year’s World of Wearable (WoW) Arts show.

In what started as a family project using his great-grandfather’s tools, Troy Stade has created, alongside his parents Martin de Ruyter and Karen Stade, a Bizarre Bra entry.

“My great-grandfather made trench art after World War II, which ignited a bit of a passion for my family.

“It’s been great to see our piece come together.”

The garment is made up of shells from spent bullets which are split in half and then welded and filed to create a petal.

“The petals are shaped like a poppy, which brings in a New Zealand connection,” says Troy, who is studying Law, Japanese and International Relations.

When creating the garment over the last summer break, a neighbour commented on the sounds coming from the Stade’s property.

“They said it sounded like we were fighting a war, with all the noise we were making–hammering and filing.”

Troy’s family, who are from Nelson, are long-standing supporters of WOW, having been to every show since the event began, and have tried to use this experience to help them put together an award-winning garment.

“We’re aiming to be the first Supreme winner of the Bizarre Bra section,” says Troy.

Although the former Nelson College student has been told he has “artists’ hands”, he doesn’t see himself as a particularly creative person.

“Like every boy growing up I enjoyed playing with Lego, but other than some after-school art classes I haven’t done much.”

But he can see how important it is for students to have a creative outlet, especially those studying law.

“Having this creative outlet is cathartic for me.”

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