MOSAIC – SCULPTURE – PAINTING WORKSHOP

My field of study in university was graphic design, which has been the influential point of view I have adopted in all my creative endeavors – illustration, ceramics, painting, sculpture and finally mosaics. I feel that this mixed media I have utilized makes up the big mosaic that is my creative work. Now they are all interlaced, design being the first step of the process, almost always quite graphic.

I love the challenge of problem solving during the creation of a mosaic. Since I don’t stick to just one material or technique, this is like finding the first piece of the puzzle. Depending on the design, the size of the finished work, the colors to be used and above all my mood and the feeling I want to convey, I choose my materials- be they broken glazed tiles or crockery, glass mosaics, glass beads, pebbles, shells, smalti, or ceramic pieces I make…

Before even beginning to make mosaics, I was making large wall murals in ceramics. I sculpt the clay, then cut into smaller pieces so they can be fired, glazed and fired again. Then the pieces are fitted together on the wall to make up the mural. We used to call these “ceramic murals”, but now when I look back , I realize that those were mosaics with bigger pieces I made instead of cut.

Italy- Sardinia, 2017

Creating big mosaic sculptures is the ultimate joy , every step more exciting than the previous: from drawing to clay model, from metal skeleton to concrete sculpture, and finally to the mosaiced surface. My “creatures” are mostly organic forms, especially lizards and chameleons (an iguana is waiting to be born). I am thrilled with the flexibility of their movement, the wonderful curves they form, and how colorful they can be.

The versatility of mosaics both in two and three dimensional pieces, suits my adventurous nature so well. The fact that even in a two dimensional piece, the depth is always existent due to the character of the pieces that make up the whole, makes the big difference between the original design and the finished mosaic. I have often heard people tell me the mosaic looks more “alive” than the painting. Or, that the sculpture feels more alive than its original model.

The name of my studio is BUKALEMUNart, bukalemun meaning cameleon – slow, versatile, colorful. It changes its color according to its mood (not just for camouflage). Thus, my studio, where I apply this very slow process to create pieces with a mosaic of materials and methods.