Sculptural Avatars
Karla Cornwall’s sculptural avatars sit at the intersection of fashion, identity and abstract form. Reimagining the traditional mannequin, once used solely as a commercial display object, she transforms it into a layered, fibre-based embodiment of presence and narrative.
With over 25 years in fashion, Karla explores our relationship with garments as extensions of self. Clothing becomes more than surface; it becomes memory, protection and expression. Through intricate threading, woven structures and textural layering, discarded mannequins are reconstituted into woven abstract expressionistic sculptural forms, avatars that reflect identity, energy and transformation.
Each work is constructed using thread, fabric, wool, embellishments and reclaimed materials, resulting in tactile, immersive pieces that feel both architectural and emotionally resonant.
Commission a Sculptural Avatar
Karla collaborates with brands, institutions and cultural organisations to create bespoke sculptural avatars that embody identity through material, colour and form.
Each commission is developed through dialogue responding to narrative, environment and purpose and realised as a one-of-a-kind fibre-based installation designed for:
• Retail environments
• Exhibition spaces
• Cultural celebrations
• Brand launches
• Public and corporate settings
Selected Commissions & FEATUREs
Madam Trinity — Trinidad & Tobago High Commission
In 2022, following her solo exhibition Flow: The Art of Letting Go, Karla was commissioned by the High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr Vishnu Dhanpaul, to create a sculptural avatar for the nation’s 60th Independence Anniversary.
The resulting work, Madam Trinity, The Hummingbird, abstractly incorporated the colours of the Trinidad and Tobago flag and the symbolism of the country’s native hummingbird, embodying national identity through layered fibre and form. The piece served as a cultural centrepiece, merging abstraction, symbolism and national narrative.
Jesse — Puma Feature
Originally created in response to a Puma design competition, the Jesse Avatar reinterpreted the brand’s iconic Suede silhouette through sculptural fibre form. Rather than designing a garment, I translated Puma’s material language, colour palette and streetwear heritage into an embodied abstract figure.
After sharing the work independently, Puma connected with me, leading to a large-scale photographic installation of the avatar displayed in their Carnaby Street flagship during Black History Month.
The piece demonstrates how sculptural fibre practice can extend brand identity beyond product into presence, transforming footwear culture into dimensional, experiential form.
