Winter Exhibition at Thrown Contemporary
Terra Cognita. Grasslands.
2023 ended with some great news. Two of my works - Terra Cognita. Grasslands and Collision02 have been selected for Winter Exhibition at Thrown Gallery. To prepare for the show I gave a short interview about my work. I publish an excerpt below!
What are you thinking about when you start making each piece? Do you work in series?
M: When I start making each piece, I'm thinking a lot about nature, landscapes and how the Earth's surface looks and feels. I've been looking at pictures of the Earth from above, which show the land and its different shapes and colours. These pictures inspired my latest series of abstract landscapes called "Terra Cognita."
I enjoy working in series because each piece influences the next one. Building on the same idea leads to various creative solutions for similar challenges.
Tell us more about your recent series, when did you begin this and how has it developed?
M: I began working on the "Terra Cognita" series almost two years ago. Before that, I used to create mainly three-dimensional objects like pots and decorative items. But making flat artworks presented new challenges, and it took me about a year of learning and experimenting to create the first piece in this series that I was happy with.
Do you plan each piece in advance or do they develop intuitively?
M: When it comes to making each piece, I don't always have a fixed plan. Some pieces are carefully thought out in advance, while others come about more spontaneously. Sometimes, I let the material I'm working with guide me, and I try different things with clay to see where it takes me. Surprisingly, these accidental discoveries often turn out to be exactly what I was looking for.
How important is tactility to your work?
M: The texture of my work is really important to me. I pay special attention to how the surface feels, and I want people to touch it. Hanging the work on the wall inadvertently creates a certain distance between the viewer and the artwork. And I am very interested in the tension created by a presumed forbiddenness of touch and an invitation to break the rules and lay your hands on the work.
*** The show is open online until the 28th of January 2024.
