Claude Cahun, born Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob in 1894, was a French writer, photographer and artist recognized for her personal and political work that frequently explored gender and sexuality.
From 1912, she crafted self-portraits that challenged gender boundaries with surreal visual aesthetics, often donning various disguises.
In the early 1920s, Cahun and her partner, Suzanne Malherbe, collaborated on written pieces, collages, photomontages and sculptures, while also fervently campaigning against the Nazis.
Cahun‘s association with the surrealist movement began in 1932, leading to her participation in numerous exhibitions.
Her work, especially her self-portraits, paved the way for future artists by showcasing the chameleonic nature of women’s identities in a time dominated by male surrealists.
Cahun’s daring self-expression, utilizing body language, attire and varied backgrounds, has been celebrated in exhibitions worldwide. She passed away in 1954.
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I have handpicked some of the top quotes by Claude Cahun in this article.
Best Claude Cahun Quotes
I…divide myself in order to conquer myself; multiply myself in order to make my mark. ~ Claude Cahun.
If I vibrate with vibrations other than yours, must you conclude that my flesh is insensitive? ~ Claude Cahun.
Under this mask, another mask. I will never be finished removing all these faces. ~ Claude Cahun.
The blood orange has its admirer, who suck it smugly. Cooks stalk it; they’d like to put it in some tartare sauce. However, some, like me, turn their noses up. In silence they mould bits of bread into balls, delighting in their work, then chuck them in God’s face. ~ Claude Cahun.
No, I will follow the wake in the air, the trail on the water, the mirage in the pupil … I wish to hunt myself down, to struggle with myself. ~ Claude Cahun.
Famous Claude Cahun Quotes
Although I had a lot of time to get acquainted with myself, my knowledge about me is fragmentary. I could tell you all about my life, but all you would get would be a mere reference to my person. I am both subject and object of my history. ~ Claude Cahun.
Individualism? Narcissism? Of course. It is my strongest tendency, the only intentional constancy [fidelity] I am capable of…. Besides, I am lying; I scatter myself too much for that. ~ Claude Cahun.
Memories? Choice morsels. My soul is fragmentary. ~ Claude Cahun.
You have told me to write a confession because you know only too well that this is currently the only literary task that might seem to me first and foremost realizable, where I feel at ease, permit myself a direct link, contact with the real world, with the facts. ~ Claude Cahun.
If there is horror, it is for those who speak indifferently of the next war. If there is hate, it is for hateful qualities, not nations. If there is love, it is because this alone kept me alive. ~ Claude Cahun.
Top Claude Cahun Quotes
Shuffle the cards. Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me. ~ Claude Cahun.
Realities disguised as symbols are, for me, new realities that are immeasurably preferable. I make an effort to take them at their word. To grasp, to carry out the diktat of images to the letter. ~ Claude Cahun.
Until I see everything clearly, I want to hunt myself down, struggle with myself. ~ Claude Cahun.
I’m obsessed with the exception. I see it as bigger than nature. It’s all I see. The rule interests me only for its leftovers with which I make my swill. In this way, I deliberately downgrade myself. Too bad for me. ~ Claude Cahun.
So these were the 15 top Claude Cahun quotes and sayings.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Ava Gardner quotes and Maria Sabina quotes.
