Fool’s Armor presents the archetype of the medieval fool as modern queer resistance. The fool is a well known character in our iconographic lexicon, most often recognized as the court jester, or by its place in the tarot deck. Medieval characterizations of the fool posture them as an antagonist, a trickster, and, above all, an impious soul with no respect for god nor kings. They are a useful character in moralizing narratives, stories which teach us how we should live and what behaviors to avoid. For those of us living on the margins of authority and outside of heteronormative society, the fool becomes a relatable character — a stand-in for our own supposed immoralities, impieties, and even unorthodox fashion sense.

Incorporating the ancient artisan craft of chainmail, Zeller presents the fool as a knight in playful armor, and as an archetypal ancestor through which we establish a lineage of resilience and challenge to normative authority. Fool's Armor explores the relationships between identity and presentation, strength and softness, resistance and resilience.

The Banner of the Fool is a chainmail sculpture referencing medieval archetypes in a modern context. The knight, the wearer of armor, embodies strength and purity of resolve. This protector is contrasted with the fool (jester, trickster, and madman). In medieval illustrations, the fool is most frequently shown arguing — with monks, kings, god, and even the devil. This strength in standing up to authority, in being fearless to live on the margins, is where the fool is representative of the queer experience.

Chainmail, as an object, embodies the concept of strength in community — each ring cannot stand alone, but together form a strong weave. The sculpture integrates hardy metals with delicate silk ribbons, a dichotomy of materials highlighting the tension between outward presentation and inward identity. Objects in this series explore the armor we build up to protect ourselves and our community from an increasingly threatening world. The fool becomes, out of both necessity and love, a knight in playful armor.