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Ceramics is a very touch-sensitive material. Also the whole process of creation out of clay is something very physical. How important it is for you to mold clay with your bare hands and physical effort regarding a piece of work? What is important in your sculpting skills? All my sculptures are made of various chamotte masses. They vary in granularity, colour and physical properties. I am fascinated with the rough structure of clay. By pressing, casting and molding I want to expose its variety. Clay is a material which offers many opportunities to express yourself. You can flatten, tear, cut and glue it, you can use dyes and engobes and you can glaze it. As a result of the above activities, the sculptures have various surfacessometimes it is smooth, sometimes rough, burrowed or cracked. Clay is a material with plastic properties- thanks to which you can mold it at random and create any shapes you think of – even these most elaborat.
You work with human shapes, you form bodies and faces. How important is a man in your works and why?
I mainly focus on a human form. Despite apparent monothematic nature, each sculpture is a spectrum of a growing number of new formal solutions, confined in clay. My sculptures are creations of imagination, although they are based on male or female form. They distance themselves from literary and philosophical study and leave it to audience. They are rather a result of formal search, they are born out of observation of structures and colours- everything which is contradictory and harmonious at the same time. I concentrate myself on man. I am interested in analysing human attitudes, behaviour, emotions. In my forms I look for areas of human sensitivity, human desires, concerns or energy, which influence me. I try to create my sculptures on the basis of ephemeral, difficult to define feelings, emotions buzzing inside us, however I am far from commenting the reality surrounding us. Nevertheless, as a sculptor, I am mosty interested in man, especially in his body and gestures. In gestures I look for words, in words I seek out letters which I incorporate in my works. Eyes, hands- everything 4
speaks in its own way. I am interested in people, their behaviour, reactions. My sculptures are somehow processed pictures of reality, in some ways they are stories.
You are self-taught and you have learned how to form a ceramic body into various objects. What are your inspirations? What kind of artisitic freedom have you experienced through your work? I have always been interested in art. I was raised in a country dominated by social realism but we had access to art books, which introduced me to this world, learned sensitivity. When they opened the borders and we had the opportunity to travel, I observed intently great masters’works in European art galleries. From the fascination with ancient sculpture I moved gradually to modern times. Surely, the most influencial were the works of Igor Mitoraj, who taught me how to combine classical form with modern. One thing is certain, being self-taught does not help. You have to be determined to pursue your goals. As self-taught , I pay attention to skills. When an idea is born, I wonder for a long time how to transform a thought into something tangible. I do not draw sketches, but I start off by making a model in clay and then I make a clay mould of which I create eight works, each of them is decorated differently and numbered. I use engobes, pigments and then I glaze them. I feel that the ideas come when we are alone, when we listen to a silent, inner voice, which tell us what is right. I do not adhere to rigid academic patterns and maybe beause of this I am more open-minded When and how did artistic galleries become interested in your works?
How are your artistic emotions evolving? I am most satisfied when I move from design stage ( in my head) to the moment I start creating my work. I like the moment when I am beginning to see an outline of a figure and the moment when I start bringing out details. Then comes the firing process and then a moment of surprise when the clay and glazes are „ mature”, it is very emotional moment. At the end, my work starts to live its own life, this is the sheer joy. To what extent are your works symbolic? My sculptures refer to classical scupting forms. You can make out busts, torsos, heads, carrying symbolic, erotic, hard-hitting meaning,sometimes with a mixture of surrealizm. My sculptures are somehow processed paintings from reality, in some ways they are stores. I fuse together classical forms with contemporary design. As far as designing is concerned, I use letters, numbers and in my latest works pictures of hands, eys and lips symbols of communication. Writing, numbers and sculpture in your works create symbiosis. How do you perceive a man nowadays, in the age of digital communication? No doubt, digital media and IT and communications technologies have an increasing influence on human life. A principle formulated by Marshall McLuhan: medium is a message is becoming a key to modern transformation. A man becomes a complete man, when he opens to relationships with others, also in the network when he craves for communication with other persons. In my case a human form is a transmitter, and design is my message.
Some years ago, I had the opportunity of meeting Wiktor Borowski who was the first person to see my work. He visited me in my workshop and he brought his father, Stanisław Borowski, with him. I will never forget his words: Ok, you have to get your work noticed. So I did. I started with The Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, and then to Galleryes I have comtinued.
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C ER A M I C SC UL P TUR E S
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THE STORY OF MY SOUL 35 x 25 x 80 cm / 14 x 10 x 32 Inch 7
BACK TO THE BEGINNING 35 x 25 x 80 cm / 14 x 10 x 32” 8
WORLD IS YOURS 50 x 25 x 57 cm / 20 x 10 x 23” 9
LITTLE STAR 50 x 30 x 90 cm / 20 x 12 x 36” 10
I KNOW WHO YOU ARE (HANGING) 20 x 70 x 140 cm / 8 x 28 x 55” 11
LET’S WASTE SOME TIME 35 x 25 x 80 cm 14 x 10 x 32” 12
WHO WANTS TO BE LONLEY 35 x 40 x 150 cm / 14 x 16 x 60” 13
ONE TIME FOR YOUR MIND 45 x 40 x 160 cm / 14 x 10 x 32” 14
MISSING 70 x 52 x 35 cm / 28 x 21 x 14” 15
LOVE & HATE 40 x 40 x 160 cm / 16 x 16 x 63” 16
YOU’RE NOT ALONE 50 x 40 x 55 cm / 20 x1716 x 22”
THE TEMPERATURE IS RISING 50 x 40 x 70 cm / 20 x 16 x 28” 18
CALL ME IRRESPONSIBLE 45 x 40 x 160 cm / 18 x 16 x 63” 19
I MISS YOU 50 x 40 x 155 cm / 20 x 16 x 61” 20
THE STORY OF MY SOUL 35 x 25 x 80 cm / 14 x 10 x 32” 21
YOU HAVE GOT A FRIEND IN ME 70 x 20 x 65 cm / 28 x 8 x 26”
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PARTY OVER 50 x 40 x 55 cm / 20 x 16 x 20” 24
POLISCH SOUL 60 x 20 x 35 cm / 23 x 8 x 14” 25
I HAD TO BE YOU 40 x 40 x 160 cm / 16 x 16 x 63” 26
Alexandra Wendorf about the artists
Marek Zyga covers his sculptures with a glaze of single letters and numbers, thanks to which an interraction occurs between the rough chamotte surface of the human body- and the shiny, colorful surface of the letters. In an exceptionally complex firing process of 850-1080°C temperature range, he glazes his sculptures many times then mixes the glaze again and when they are fired three or four times, new surface appears. Glazed letters cover the human figures, faces and hands of sculptures partly becoming clothes and partly adhering directly to the skin. „ The skin” becomes a means of communication and it is inextricably linked with news and dialogue with the outer world. In the digital and Internet era, Marek Zyga highlights the complexity and problematic issues of interhuman relations. On one hand, letters adhere to sculptures and on the other hand bodies are not united with typography. Grooves and irregularities are visible.What kind of message do the letters try to convey? Do they reflect words? Are they synonyms for what is unspoken? Maybe they are some hidden symbols? For the first time, Marek Zyga casts his sculptures decorated with letters also in bronze. In this case, his ceramic sculptures serve as models for casting. After eight castings in bronze, initial moulds are destroyed. Thanks to which, a number of bronze castings is strictly limited. After
casting, his sculptures undergo patina process and the surface is again characterized by grooves and irregularities. Some letters are polished, some are matt. In this case, a play takes place between highlighted and towned-down signs and combinations of signs which are shrouded in mystery. By adding individual iron, stone and industrial objects trouvés motives, these castings become spatial works of art. Marek Zyga ask questions through these sculptures and he goes even further in his new works. This time he incorporates pictures in his glazes ,detailed images of mouths and hands. In an intricate manner he manages to set these pictures in the glaze. Thanks to wthis method, particular parts of the body or even whole sculptures are covered with photographic images. Ostensibly repeatable motives send back to gestures and speech and are partly supplemented with glazed letters. Man as a communicative being is capable of various universal expressions as well as silence. Writing and body, human and communication are combined together by way of symbiosis. They constitute unity, which, however is not homogenous. Sculptures of Marek Zyga draw our attention as they are multi-layered and complex as far as preception of language and thought is concerned in interhuman communication . Just like scuplture possesses an ability to penetrate the environment, typeface or the sound of passwords always refer to a wish to penetrate spiritual space and to establish a relationship with a viewer or an auditor.
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B R O N Z E SC ULP TUR E S
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SHADES OF COOL 40 x 50 x 150 cm / 16 x 20 x 60” 29
SOMEONE LIKE YOU 50 x 40 x 160 cm / 20 x 16 x 63” 30
STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED 60 x 30 x 160 cm / 24 x 12 x 63”
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ICARUS 64 x 68 x 136 cm / 26 x 28 x 55”
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I WILL BE WAITING 50 x 25 x 60 cm / 20 x 10 x 24” 34
TALKING DREAMS 50 x 50 x 60 cm / 20 x 20 x 24” 35
THE JUMPER 50 x 50 x 160 cm / 20 x 20 x 60” 36
HEAVEN WAIT 30 x 25 x 90 cm / 12 x 10 x 36 Inch 37
TAKE ALL 45 x 40 x 160 cm / 18 x 16 x 63 Inch 38
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TAKE THESE CHAINS FROM MY HEART 50 x 50 x 163 cm / 20 x 20 x 64” 40
GIVE ME SOMETHING 30 x 25 x 90 cm / 12 x 10 x 36 Inch 41
YOUNG AT HEART 66 x 40 x 105 cm / 14 x 10 x 32” 42
THE FOUNDATIONS 55 x 45 x 220 cm / 20 x 18 x 87” 43
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THE GATE TO EDEN 86 x 18 x 75 cm / 34 x 7 x 30”
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WALKING COUPLE. 65 x 70 x 63 cm / 26 x 28 x 26”
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SPAK TO ME 15 x 15 x 60 cm / 14 x 10 x 32” 48
THE NEST 50 x 35 x 240 cm / 20 x 14 x 95” 49
Marek Zyga. I was born in 1968. Ceramic sculpture dealing with since 2003. Debuted in 2007, the exhibition at the Museum of Ceramics in Boleslawiec, where I live and create. EXHITBITIONS
2007 • Ceramics Museum In Bolesławiec, Poland (solo exhibition) • Art fair LINEARTwith Francis Hebda Gallery, Gent, Belgium
2008 • Etienne Gallery, The Netherlands • Oisterwijk Sculpture, The Netherlands • Wurtzburg Palast, Germany (solo exhibition)
2009 • Oisterwijk Sculptures with Etienne Gallery, The Netherlands • Art fair Lineart, Ghent with Francis • Hebda Gallery, Belgium.
2010 • Liliane Beelden Parade with Van Loon & Simons Gallery, The Netherland • Art Nocturne, Knokke, Belgium.
2011 • Szalom Galery Kraków, Poland (solo exhibition) • Galeria van Loon & Simons Gallery, The Netherland (solo exhibition) • Biennale Vught, The Netherland
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• Art Nocturne Knokke, Belgium • Pumpwerk Siegburg, Germany with Francis Hebda Gallery, • Gent,Belgium • International Ceramics Center, Bolesławiec, Poland (solo exhibition) • Minerwa Gallery, Malmo, Sweden (solo exhibition)
2012 • Stijl, Belgium • De Lange Litanie, Roselare Belgium • Gallery Bram, Hobro Denmark • Ceramic from Bolesławiec, MCC Bolesławiec, Poland • New Form Galery, Treleborg,Sweden • Biennale Tilburg, The Netherland • Art fair LINEART with Francis Hebda Gallery, Gent, Belgium
2013 • Art fair ART HERNING with Bram Gallery, Herning, Dania. • Biennale Vught, The Netherland • Continuum Gallery, Konigswinter, Germany. • Dreamscapes Viechtach, Germany. • Dreamscapes, Ultrecht, The Netherland • Art Fair SOFA Chicago with Tom Riley
Gallery, USA • Karen Echt Gallery, Chicago, USA • Van Loon Gallery, The Netherland (solo exhibition)
2014 • Art fair Palm Beach with PISMO Gallery Denver,USA • Art fair Breda with Van Loon Gallery, The Netherland • Continuum Gellery, Knigswinter,Germany ( solo exhibition) • Alden Biesen, Belgium • ArtNokturn Knokke, Belgium • Biennale Vuhgt, The Netherland • Art SOFA with Tom Riley Gallery, USA
2015 • IQ-Artist.Amsterdam, The Netherland • Art fair Palm Beach with Tom Rile Gallery, USA • Art Breda with Continuum Gallery, The Netherland • Art Hamptons New York with Evan Lurie Gallery • Art Nokturn Knokke, Belgium • Art fair Koln, Germany • Biennale Brabant, Tilburg,The Netherland • Scope Miami, Miami,USA
2016
• LA Art Show with Evan Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles, USA • Art. Boca Raton, Floryda, USA • Art. Breda, The Netherland • Cafmeyer Gallery, Knokke, Belgium • Gallery Van Loon, The Netherland (solo exhibition) • Biennale Vuhgt, The Netherland • Art Hamptons New York with Evan Lurie Gallery • Art Fair Koln, Germany • Midtjyllands Kunst Center, Bryrup, Denmark • SOFA Chicago, Karen Echt Gallery, USA • Biennale Veghel, The Netherland 2017 • Art fair Palm Beach with Evan Lurie Gallery, USA • Art & Antic Munster With Continuum Gallery, Art Breda with Van Loon Gallery The Netherland • Art Frais ,Spa with Art Hebda, Belgium. • SOFA Chicago, Karen Echt Gallery, USA • Biennale Brabant, The Netherland • GB BGBBGGB GG GUniek Of Origineel, Genk,Belgium • Midtjyllands Kunst Center, Bryrup, Denmark • Dreamescape, Traun, Austria. • ARTE PADOVA, Padova with Vecchiato Arte Gallery,Italy
• Art fair Palm Beach with Continuum Gallery, USA
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