Maria Spanakis
Maria Spanakis
Brossard, QC, Canada
In a world constantly searching for a distraction from the impalpable, my creations are designed to give physical form to unpopular and misunderstood emotions, forcing us to face the ugly side of human expression.
With my work I aim to relocate invisible, internalized trauma to a safe area outside the human body, thereby creating space for new and healing forces to reside.
Inspired by the origami paper-folding techniques and kiln casting/pâte de verre, I sculpt and capture the internalized angst and suffering universally felt by those for whom a healthy parent-child bond is inaccessible during key formative years and the consequences of which are carried well into adulthood.
The deformity imposed by the folds on a flat sheet of paper demonstrates a powerful transformation and becomes a visual expression of unseeable emotional trauma. The authenticity and dualities of glass expose the friability of brokenness of self and shame.