Sculpting space with her mosaics of tesserae, the ceramist creates metaphorical wall panels, similar to abstract paintings in motion.
Passionate about drawing and painting since childhood, Ukrainian artist Valeriya Isyak discovered the mosaic technique at the end of her art studies and subsequently turned to ceramics, which became her preferred mode of expression. By perfecting her skills and exploring all the possibilities of this material, she has managed to synthesize her favorite art forms through emblematic wall panels, veritable "ceramic paintings." Delicately handling them one by one with tweezers, she meticulously assembles thousands of hand-shaped porcelain petals, building her artwork stroke by stroke. Each one finds its perfect place, contributing to the balance and coherence of the whole, composing a unified structure. "The central idea underlying my work is the interaction between fragility and stability, two seemingly opposing but in reality deeply interdependent states," explains Valeriya Isyak. For her, "This transformation of vulnerability into strength reflects the human condition, the tension and harmony between individuality and collectivity, and the world in which we live: our resilience does not emerge despite fragility, but because of it.".
Thanks to their precise positioning, the delicate petals generate a rhythm that spreads to their neighbors. Between permanence and transience, they animate the space with fluid and harmonious movements. Light accentuates the reliefs of the immaculate tesserae, while others, colored in shades of blue-gray, shape the shadows and sculpt the depth of other superimposed planes. This interplay where "Each petal captures the light differently, creating subtle, almost painterly variations in tone."is essential for the artist who designs his pieces in a three-dimensional way, focusing his attention "as much in terms of movement and depth as in terms of form".
The delicacy of the porcelain elements, which could be mistaken for feathers or paper petals when viewed from a distance, contrasts with the power emanating from Valeriya Isyak's works. She must put all her energy into the most imposing of them, like the diptych. Nexus One of her latest creations, presented at PAD Paris by the Mia Karlova Gallery, is a large-scale work composed of some 65,000 porcelain elements. It required nearly three months of constant effort. Lying on the floor or perched on a ladder, in order to perceive and shape her compositions from every angle, the artist communicates the rhythm of her own body to the porcelain, drawing it into a dance. "I feel the painting through my movements, through the complexity of the composition; it is at that moment that it truly comes alive for me.""She confides. The dialogue that develops between the artist and her work, and between each of its interdependent elements, is wonderfully illustrated by this swirling diptych, whose title refers to the notion of connection. The metaphorical vortices of the porcelain captivate the eye and hold the attention, carrying the mind into a contemplative reflection that invites us to look beyond the beauty of the material: "My work becomes not only a visual experience, but also a philosophical exploration of what it means to exist in balance." While remaining true to this guiding principle, the artist enriches it with a new dimension by beginning to explore color: "Directly inspired by Monet, my first colorful piece is a dialogue between porcelain and Impressionist painting; color interacts with light in a new way without losing the sculptural aspect of my work." This work will be presented by the Mia Karlova Gallery at the PAN Amsterdam art fair this November. A new chapter begins for Valeriya Isyak.
valeriya-isyak.com
@batis.by.valeriya.isyak
Represented by the Mia Karlova Gallery
miakarlova.com
@miakarlovagalerie
The Mia Karlova Gallery will exhibit the works of Valeriya Isyak at its booth during the following fairs:
PAN Amsterdam
Amsterdam RAI
Hall 8, Europaplein, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
From 2/9 to 2025/XNUMX
pan.nl/en
Art + Design Fair New York
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue, New York (United States)
From 6/10 to 2025/XNUMX
thesalonny.com/new-york
