Irene Ha / Baby Reni (1997,NL)

 

“I want to make the World more important than my problems. Therefore, I have to make my problems social.” - Chris Kraus

 

But The World is exactly what my problems are about! Channeling the Pokemon character Pikachu – who seems cute and pet-able, until it reminds you of its powerful thunderbolt attack – I want to tackle all prejudices developing and representing my own counterculture, existing of an international community of like-minded souls I encountered through shared experiences in URL and IRL. In these communities, complex layers of emotion unfold into simplified, sometimes grotesque imagery. This fast paced flow of information motivates me to seek authenticity in bootlegging the bootleg, memeing the meme. Operating as Baby Reni, I want to fulfil this role as multidisciplinary persona; I can be anything I want to be, just like the internet told me. I often find myself fulfilling the roles of an activist, a matchmaker or cloth designer…seeking for a collective feeling of ‘care’ by multiplying and spreading the scarf like a disease (or… rather, the scarf will protect you from the disease).

 

EDUCATION

Basicyear, BA Fashion design

Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam

2016 - 2020 Amsterdam (NL)

 

Preparatory year Art & Design

ArtEZ University of Arts

2015 - 2016 Arnhem (NL)

 

INTERNSHIPS

Yat Pit, Hong Kong

CFGNY, New York & Ho Chi Minh City

Schueller de Waal, Amsterdam

 

SHOW(S)(CASED)

2020 Nominated for GRA Awards SELECTED, Categorie Applied Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam

2020 Nominated for “Lichting 2020”, Amsterdam Fashion Week (COMING SOON)

2020 "Whoever You're Hiding Away With", Fashion Show 2020, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam 

2019  “Salon no.10”, LYDIA RODRIQUES COLLECTION, New York

2019 Group exhibition “OAS1*5”, De School, Amsterdam

2018 “Salon no.08”, LYDIA RODRIQUES COLLECTION, New York

2018 Sauce Magazine Issue 2 Release Exhibition “Probiotic”, De School, Amsterdam

2017 Duo Exhibition “De Keet”, Code Rood, Arnhem