Lieke Knoops | Mermaid Lelie

I’ve always been drawn to the water. Every chance I got, I was there, exploring, swimming, imagining. As a child, I spent countless hours beneath the waves, lost in my own underwater world. I grew up in the era of The Little Mermaid and Free Willy, and one of my favorite games was orca and mermaid. My friend’s room overflowed with orca treasures, while mine was a magical realm of mermaids.

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Growing up, I never lost my love for the water. I swam whenever I could. At some point, I discovered that other adults shared the same passion for mermaids. They kept it alive by swimming and performing as mermaids. I was instantly captivated by the idea. The only obstacle was getting a tail—adult fabric tails didn’t exist yet. On top of that, there was the pressure of Belgian society, where being an adult seemed to mean being boring.

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After overcoming those obstacles, I bought a monofin in early 2014 and made my first tail from sequin fabric. Soon after, I created my own silicone tail. From that moment on, my passion only grew.

Today, I fill my days with creating magic—by letting others experience the wonder of mermaids, or by experiencing it myself. Magic is never far away with me.

Lieke Knoops is a performance artist who aims to make everyday life more beautiful, colorful, and playful through the magic of mermaids.

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