Selene’s Story
Selene Cochrane has been a costumier for over 30 years. Starting her career in the fashion industry, she eventually moved into theatre and performance art. Her designs have featured in her work for numerous productions for Brisbane based performer Christine Johnston, with whom she continues to work.
As Wardrobe Supervisor and Resident Designer for Queensland Ballet from 1998 to 2003, Selene designed and made costumes for many productions including The Little Mermaid, Don Quixote and Sleeping Beauty, some of which toured throughout Australia and Internationally. Whilst working with the dancers, Selene developed an extensive knowledge and love of making costumes that can “move” with the body. She has also created costumes for many dancers, acrobats and companies including Expressions Dance Company, Circa Contemporary Circus, Windmill Theatre Company and most recently Karul Projects.
Having struggled with chronic worsening back pain due to Scoliosis, I finally made the difficult decision to go ahead with correction surgery.
While not a cure, it would ensure that my spine would not continue to get worse.Now over 4 years post surgery and ongoing rehabilitation, much trial and error with regard to my capacity to work, I came to the very confronting conclusion that continuing my career as a costume designer, maker and artist was not possible. Although surgery was successful, chronic pain was still going to be something I have to live with.
During my career I had always participated in extra curricular artistic pursuits in various mediums, participating in many group shows and some solo shows.
Being faced with this, my mind of course took me down the road of what I could do that would not take too much of a toll on my body and prevent me from going stir crazy, So I began a journey of discovery to see what I could create, using my skills as a designer, a cutter, and an artist. My most recent show Fool’s Menagerie 2022 was the beginning of that exploration and I am excited to see where it takes me.