This delicious shoot was inspired by two things: Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and Benign Girl’s thirst for GLAMOUR. Benign Girl has a real sweet side and so it felt natural to have her eating a decadent dessert of ice cream, sprinkles, marshmallows, and KRISTA ‘Dress’ rings. To top it all off, photographer Bronte Pleasance was able to capture the essence of this flirtatious and yummy madness with her beautiful, warm film photography style.
KRISTA and Benign Girl met years ago at a party and have worked creatively alongside each other ever since. There is no doubting the similarities between them and their creative work; they both love to play dress ups and experiment with colour, shape, textures, humour and performativity. Benign Girl was the perfect model for this delectable photoshoot, have you ever seen someone eat ice cream and look this good? We haven’t.
KRISTA (she/her) is an emerging interdisciplinary artist based in Naarm (Melbourne) Australia, working with sculpture, jewellery and apparel. KRISTA makes art for the gallery and for the body, her work can be found on heads, in salons, on fingers, in balconies, in shop fronts, on ears, and in homes all around the world. Her DIY aesthetic is born from a playful ad-hoc approach to making. KRISTA uses recycled materials to create and rework discarded clothing items, giving them new life, but not at the cost of our beautiful mother Earth.
KRISTA’s jewellery is playful and “extra”, reminiscent of the colourful necklaces you may have played with growing up, or at least the ones your friend had that you wanted. Think ribbons, pearls, beads, bows. Who was it that said something about before you leave the house and look in the mirror, put another thing on?
Drag performer and self-proclaimed hot feral, Benign girl has been making waves on the Australian drag scene for years. She’s made a name as part of Melbourne’s most prolific drag trio “The Beastie Girls,” whose work has been shown across an array of platforms, from online video to music festivals, dive bars, galleries, and sewers.
Benign has worked alongside the likes of Charli XCX and Troye Sivan, and even rubbed shoulders with Toadie Rebecchi on Ramsay Street. Inspiration for her performance comes from the depths of suburban Australian culture as well as her love for a cheeky reference. She’s sexy, playful and not afraid to be crude; spend a night with Benign and she’ll make you ache!
Credits
Featured Artists (apparel, jewellery & sculpture) & Creative Direction: Benign Girl and KRISTA
Hair/Make up: Benign Girl
Clothing/styling/accessories: KRISTA
Photography: Bronte Pleasance
