Cleveland-based sculptor Olga Ziemska works with natural materials like wood and bamboo to create mysteriously figurative installations for her series titled Stillness in motion: The Matka Series. “Matka” means “mother” in Polish and essentially defines the figure that Ziemska recreates. Through this mold of a maternally inclined female, the artist symbolizes a place of origin, further hinting at “our first physical environment–the womb.”
The first structure in the ongoing series, displayed in Poland, uses locally reclaimed willow branches and wire to replicate a hauntingly beautiful female form that is all at once figurative and abstract. The silhouette leaves a trail of wispy twigs behind her like a three-dimensional shadow. The second piece in Ziemska’s eye-catching series presents a similar form that echoes its environment outdoors. Like the first sculptural work, the second and most recent addition uses materials that are harvested from the land it is installed on. This time being showcased as part of an outdoor exhibition in Wongol, Korea, the sculpture was made out of bamboo, wire, and metal armature.
The artist says, “Through the repetition of the human form, the subtle characteristics of each environment will emerge naturally and visually. This body of work is ultimately a celebration of the diversity of place and also a homage to the similarities that underlie all things at their core.”
