Diaries of a Bruised Princess

On Wednesday, February 5th, at 18.00, Sarah Nõmm’s exhibition Diaries of a Bruised Princess will open at Hobusepea Gallery. The curator of the exhibition is Kärt Kelder. The exhibition will remain open until March 3, 2025. Let’s play a game. I am a princess, and you are a wicked stranger. I have nine hearts; eight are bruised, and one is uncorrupted. Sarah Nõmm’s solo exhibition, Diaries of a Bruised Princess, draws visitors into a space filled with personal narratives, elevating the themes of playfulness and the intrinsic human yearning for care. The exhibition comprises nine works that navigate the liminal space between childhood and adulthood, foregrounding issues of mental health and identity formation while underscoring the enduring desire to experience care in every role — whether assumed or imposed. The motif of play is central to the exhibition — explored both through the innocence of childhood and the intimate practices of adulthood. As children, we play out our hopes and dreams, while in adulthood, “make-believe” becomes a safeguard for our secret thoughts and desires. The difference between a princess dress and a latex costume is not particularly vast — both serve as an escape from the mundane. In her work, the artist employs the supposed naivety of youth while incorporating direct references to BDSM (B – bondage; D – discipline; D/s – dominance and submission; SM – sadomasochism). Through BDSM, Nõmm highlights the importance of rules within play, which safeguard against the transformation of dreams into trauma and instead bring the autonomous individual the pleasure and care they crave. While BDSM remains a societal taboo due to its associations with force and pain, it is also a consensual, communicative physical act. To feel being listened to and have your pain be treated right instills confidence and builds trust instead of suppression towards oneself and others. Human nature is complex, and this understanding serves Nõmm as a source of inspiration. With Diaries of the Bruised Princess, the artist seeks to bridge the childlike longing of safety and the adult pursuit of pleasure, showing how emotional scars can heal through unconventional means. Her exploration of the body transcends distinctions of gender, nationality, and age, focusing on its need to hold and to be held. Nõmm’s aim is to challenge and expand existing narratives around mental health, trauma and sexuality, fostering dialogue and understanding across educational, private, and public contexts. By sharing personal stories, she seeks to dismantle stigma, encouraging others to confront their experiences with courage and empathy. I am an adult and you are just a stranger. I have only one heart - hold my pain and the bruises will heal. Kärt Kelder Sarah Nõmm (b. 1998) is a Tallinn-based artist whose practice spans sculpture, installation, video, and performance. Her work frequently interrogates the representation of the female body and the spaces surrounding it. Rooted in personal experiences, Nõmm's art engages with themes relating to the body through the lenses of folklore, mythology, taboos, and everyday rituals. She holds a BA degree in sculpture and installation art from the Estonian Academy of Arts. Nõmm has received notable recognition, including the Young Sculptor Award in 2021. In 2022, she was nominated for the AkzoNobel Art Prize alongside Maria Izabella Lehtsaar and awarded the Eduard Wiiralt Scholarship. Kärt Kelder (b. 1990) is a freelance writer and project manager in the field of contemporary dance, based in Tallinn. Her work focuses on the intersections of culture, exploring non-normative tendencies and societal trends that illuminate the complexity and depth of the human experience. She holds degrees in journalism and literature from the University of Tartu and cultural sociology from the University of Amsterdam.