FITTING IN /
FITTING IN /
19 November –
4 December 2022
Fitting In is a self wardrobe study by artist and fashion photographer, Devon Khusuma. The series traces his relationship with gender essentialism through the documentation and categorisation of clothes in his wardrobe. Featuring 160 photographed garments alongside archival images from his home and his youth, this exhibition is an exploration of Devon’s fragmented masculine and feminine identity.
Wardrobe studies are utilised by fashion scholars to understand wearing habits and the intentional act of self-fashioning. While most wardrobe studies tend towards in-depth interviews with multiple subjects, Fitting In deviates from this ethnographic method by adopting an autobiographical approach.
From the placement of our buttons to the colours we choose to wear, the gendered connotations of our clothes are often overlooked and taken for granted. Growing up in a conservative Indonesian household, Devon’s wardrobe reflects the evolution of his experiences with clothing and gender. Interspersed with archival photographs taken from 2017 to 2022, the series seeks to understand how the people in his life have played different roles in enforcing or dismantling gender norms.
By looking at his whole collection of clothing, Devon’s choice to present his wardrobe in the form of a wardrobe study invites us to witness fashion as a practice of assemblage. Acting as a form of self-portraiture, this project provides an intimate perspective on how clothing can serve as expressions of masculinity, femininity, and the in-between.
Upcoming Programmes
Past Programmes
Devon Khusuma
Devon Khusuma is a visual artist primarily working with photography, videography, as well as book design. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in fashion media from LASALLE College of the Arts. His work comprises commercial fashion photographs, personal photography projects, and experiments with the various mediums he works with. His inspiration comes from documenting his daily life: the stories and emotions that he encounters everyday.