Lucine Kaplan
Lucine Kaplan is an Artist in Residence at (and represented by) her hometown gallery, ArtWRKD, in Newtown, Bucks County, PA. Lucine is internationally recognized as the first-and-only artist to pioneer nylon pantyhose on hook as a 2D fiber art drawing medium. Her career in nylons spans since 2013, engaging conceptual threads of feminism and fashion in fine art. Throughout, she philosophically juxtaposes the nature of nylons as a garment and material—balancing conformity and restriction with rebellion and liberation.
Soon-to-be graduate student at Sotheby’s Institute of Art for a Master’s in Art Business, Lucine is an alumnus of Naropa University's BA Visual Art program, founded by Alex Grey, with whom she independently studied. Her dynamic portfolio has been showcased in nearly 100 exhibitions globally, including award-winning showcases, placing first in multiple shows and categories.
Her work has been featured in prominent exhibits such as the Denver Art Museum (2022), LA Art Show (2022), Basel House (2021), and Aqua Art Miami (2019). Lucine’s art has been displayed in major cities including NYC, Miami, Denver, Philadelphia, LA, and London.
Artist Statement
“Ripping the Seams” is the title of this series, conceptually pairing the history of hosiery with feminist dialogue, tracing a timeline from Ancient China, 200 A.D., up to modern day, 2025 A.D. Each piece is paired with a contextual poem (see website for poems). The three images selected are consecutive parts within the larger developing series of thirty pieces and counting.
The series reflects the years during World War II and post-war America, just after nylons were invented by DuPont Inc. in Wilmington, Delaware. The piece Hostage immerses us in a war zone, referencing women discovering that nylons could be used as parachutes. At Uncle Sam’s request, nylons were donated to the military. They say, “nylons won the war.”
The shortage of nylons inventory drove women to innovate, leading to the piece Sisterhood. Women first used gravy browning and tea to mimic the illusion of stockings, which eventually led to proper leg makeup called “liquid stockings,” paired with eyeliner pencils on screwdriver handles to draw a trompe l'oeil seam up the backs of their legs.
Post-war, DuPont’s marketing efforts led to the iconic giant nylon leg of Hollywood model Marie Wilson. Male Gaze portrays a real image of the model hanging next to her leg by a crane, primarily surrounded by men. Lucine interprets this as a commentary on the vulnerability of women on display for men’s pleasure, flipping the model upside down.
Lucine on Instagram
