Kristina Bieganski

 

Paint, Photography, Installation, Ceramic, Textile

Totnes
Devon
United Kingdom

The inspiration for imy work is my own background and origins. My parents came to this country after World War 2 as DP’s (displaced people or refugees) from Poland. They made good here. Their fascinating separate stories of survival under bizarre and extreme circumstances has inspired and shaped the look of my work. There is always a new story I haven’t heard before. I have also spent a considerable part of my life in Malta which has been influential visually, particularly the very ornate and extreme catholic church imagery aswell as the simplicity of the prehistoric temples. My visits to Poland and the Soviet Union have also inspired me in terms of the austere architecture and graphics. Whenever I travel I gravitate towards buying kitch toys and religious cheap artifacts. I have a great interest in belief systems whether they be political , religious, scientific or made up. The appearance of my work is reminiscent of post bomb blast or dereliction. Found objects, scraps of life, memorabilia, burnt, fused, melted, new juxtapositions of unrelated objects, photos, graphics the worthless, the collectable, the priceless. New entities, memories and emotions are created. I combine traditional techniques with invented ones using a combination of unexpected materials such as wax, stitch work, sacking, plaster casting and burnt paper with photography and oil paint and guilt frames. There is an element of happy accidents. I stand up for art which embroils itself in everyday nonsense whether it’s my own or universal. I frame all my own work as a complete finished piece and do my own ornamental gesso relief. My works are all one off unique pieces of art. CERAMICS Since 2006 I have begun to explore the realms of ceramics & have found its experimental nature extremely engaging. The medium in itself has very much consolidated all my previous interests & fascinations & fused them into one material which satisfies my desire for unexpected results. Its quality, weight & texture has lent itself to new themes in my work such as armour, headresses & helmets aswell as collage. I have also developed a commercial range of dinner service called 'GypsyWare' (check website for details) whose design reflects my interest in collage and textiles ART HISTORY I have given extensive slide show presentations on varoious aspects of Modern art history( Red Propeller gallery & Exeter Phoenix art centre ) and have also taught the subject in adult education.