Sofie Royer on the Seductive Power of Pierrot

Design & LivingAnOther Thing I Wanted to Tell You
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AN43_AT7_Sofie_Royer
Sofie is wearing a cropped wool jacket by COPERNI. Lycra and tulle tutu, acrylic mesh leg warmers and leather ballerina flats by REPETTO.Stylist’s own lace leggings and headband. Earring in sterling silver by PANCONESI X KNWLS. And earring, bodychain and rings in sterling silver by PANCONESI. Photography by Andrew Nuding, Styling by Samia Giobellina

In the latest issue of AnOther Magazine, the Vienna-based artist and musician talks about her love of Pierrot – a stock character of pantomime and the commedia dell’arte movement

TextHannah Tindle

This article is taken from the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of AnOther Magazine:

“Pierrot is a character that became a mainstay of the commedia dell’arte movement. The Moonstruck Pierrot came to fame through an Italian actor who would paint himself as the white clown during the full moon and cause a ruckus, putting on impromptu plays and musical events in his town square. It’s this duality that draws me so closely to Pierrot – he is always on a precipice, dancing between a state of sin and a state of grace. To me, Pierrot transcends gender. He has a seductive power – not necessarily that women wanted to be with him, but they embody him by painting their faces and adopting his demeanour. Having spent my teenage years in Vienna and returning here after living in LA, it feels like I have regressed into adolescence. Becoming Pierrot is a way for me to escape that while on the stage. He really came alive on stage, and that is how I feel too. He has been traipsing in and out of history for so long – I’m just here to honour and carry on the tradition.”

Sofie Royer, Vienna-based artist and musician, is a classically trained concert violinist and violist and has worked as a DJ with the likes of broadcasters Boiler Room and NTS Radio. Her debut album, Cult Survivor, came out in 2020, and heralded the start of her experimenting with her identity through the act, inspired by Pierrot, of painting her face like a clown. Her recently released sophomore record, Harlequin, mines the opera and ballet traditions of her native city as well as the baroque lyricism of Mitteleuropean cabaret.

Hair: Laurent Philippon at Bryant Artists. Make-up: Aurore Gibrien at Bryant Artists. Photographic assistant: Hugo Veuillet. Styling assistant: Sara Maria Perilli. Postproduction: She Post Production. Printing: Moderne Lab

This story features in the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of AnOther Magazine, which is on sale internationally now. Buy a copy here.

Design & LivingAnOther Thing I Wanted to Tell YouBehind the PagesAnOther Magazine Autumn/Winter 2022Music