This exhibition arises from the proposal that Rosa Santos made to Marina González Guerreiro and me to invite a series of artists who work with ceramics today and nearby.. It was then, after a beautiful period of searching in which we corroborated the richness of the clay in the various places from which it has been and continues to be approached, when we decided that Chelo Matesanz would accompany us, Emilia Guimerans, Nagore Chivite, Nerea Puente and Patricia Varea Milan. Establishing a kind of -reduced genealogy, of course- of artists from different generations around the same material, and taking advantage of the opportunity to bring together those whose work we have grown with and these others whom we now see consolidating their practice.
The ties that unite us are palpable and elusive. Emilia and Patricia's starting point refers to learning the craft and mathematics of the material.. Both were trained in Japan and Korea alongside teachers, what unites your practice with technique, the formal synthesis, ash and fire control. In the case of Guimeráns, to be able to experiment with matter and embrace imperfection. Varia, through this knowledge and the alteration of the firing processes of clays and porcelains, achieves especially magical small tonal and metallic nuances. With them he introduces us to his fascination with seeds, fossils and anthropology, that connects with that relic character of the Nagore pieces. Its plates allude to ancient species, to remains of other civilizations.
Tradition is also present in the decorative ceramics that Marina rescues to introduce into her own and radically contemporary language of her compositions and installations.. The dishes, The tiles or the benditeras are some of these shapes that are also transferred to the personal universe of Chelo's sculptures.. In this case more linked to the vase and decorative objects., that fills with spots of color and humor. His interest in collage, fragmentation, the earth and the female body connects with many of us and makes it a great reference for current generations.
For me, this way of linking the material to the body during the construction process of large-format pieces is key.. This allows me to relate in an emotional way, almost romantic, with mud and writing. As well as with the nuances of colors and textures that arise when introducing minerals and other raw materials.. The expressiveness of form and deformation is something that makes me find myself in Nerea's work., whose sculpture is both formalist and gestural. Through his pieces he seeks to generate a transmission of his physical experience., sharing it through ceramic pastes combined with non-traditional materials such as foam and latex. Go from the body to the mud, from mud to fire. And let this conversation emerge from the embers.
Sandra Mar
Artists: Nagore Chivite, Marina González Guerreiro, Emilia Guimerans, Sandra Mar, Cello Matesanz, Nerea Puente, Patricia Varea Milan.
