Suzanne Jongmans turns packaging waste into Renaissance art

How often do you shop?

How often do you receive a package delivery?

How many bubble wraps have you popped?

How many shopping bags and wrapping papers have you thrown in the trash? 

No one has really been taking record of this, but we all know the answer is uncountable. Is it really necessary to have several wrapping papers plus boxes and bubble wraps for just one item? We all see these useless things as disposable trash, but Dutch artist Suzanne Jongmans thinks differently.

You might recognize this artist’s work from the images in which she captured the Pierpaolo Piccioli’s collection for the brand Moncler. Suzanne Jongman’s artwork is known for being reminiscent of the Renaissance period’s art. It’s like traveling back in time with a modern twist.

In the art collection ‘Mind over matter’, Suzanne Jongmans recycles trash such as wrapping paper, plastic sheets, and bubble wrap and crafts them into a collection with stunning costumes inspired by the Renaissance era.

“Have a look at the old masters, you can really see the time that is put into paint”, Suzanne Jongmans explains.

Suzanne uses material such as tissue paper to recreate the texture of silk, and reforms a can of tomato puree into a beautiful ring. All of a sudden the plastic waste turns into a luxurious royalty costume.

Our reckless disposal of plastic is a serious concern we face nowadays as we’re contaminating our earth with so much unnecessary waste. Suzanne Jongman’s art raises awareness to the environmental issues of waste in the fashion industry, as well as in our daily life.