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OVERLAND PARK, Kansas — Art and fashion occasionally hook up, and it can be serendipitous, especially when a designer’s work enters the realm of sculpture or fabric art. It could even be a “match made in heaven.” JoAnne Northrup, executive director and chief curator of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, thought so when she conceived “A Match Made in Heaven: Katherine Bernhardt x Jeremy Scott.”
The concept emerged from a collaboration with the college’s fashion merchandising and design department. Jeremy Scott, a world-famous fashion designer and hometown hero, was mentioned at the first meeting. Katherine Bernhardt, a fellow Missourian, quickly became part of the project due to her recent art studio visit. When approached, Bernhardt fell in love with Scott’s designs. “Everything just aligned,” Northrup explained.
The exhibition features nearly 40 of Bernhardt’s large paintings and more than 500 of Scott’s designs, including 200 sneakers for Adidas. Filled with bright neon colors and pop iconography, the show’s maximalist aesthetic is playful yet harmonious. Visitors navigate through Scott’s eclectic outfits, often chuckling at the apt pairings, such as a purse shaped like a prescription bottle beside a painting of Xanax pills.
The show’s layout was left largely to the artists, promoting their shared aesthetics with freedom. Bernhardt’s colorful acrylics present a stream-of-consciousness of unrelated objects like Windex bottles, Cheetos, and cartoons. Scott’s designs, similarly focused on pop culture and American consumerism, include accessories such as a purse made to resemble a pizza box.
Upon installing Bernhardt’s paintings, Scott took several days to explore the gallery with her work before introducing 30 years of fashion. The juxtapositions can be straightforward, such as a dress with Hershey Kisses near a painting of chocolates, or the hamburger dress worn by Katy Perry alongside a McDonald’s arches painting.
The blend of fashion and art highlights the irreverence and humor of both artists, making their collaboration feel natural and almost divine. The intertwining of Bernhardt and Scott’s work offers visitors a unique experience that celebrates their compatible creative visions.
“A Match Made in Heaven: Katherine Bernhardt x Jeremy Scott” is on display at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art through October 26, curated by JoAnne Northrup.