Silent Witnesses / Katia Berez

Interview with Katia Berez

Artist intertwines material and meaning, creating sculptures that carry the weight of absence and resilience. Her viscerally textured faces stand as silent witnesses to human fragility, where the surface itself becomes a record of beauty and rupture. Through her sculptural language, she explores the tension between permanence and loss. In this interview, she reflects on her artistic evolution and the profound interplay between matter and memory.

When did it all start? Tell us about your first approach to sculpture, your first artwork, and the moment that marked the beginning of this journey.

I think it always starts in early childhood when one’s conciosness starts to develop. An artist interprets the world so his experiences and how he digests them ultimately becomes his art. But for most of my life I wasn’t doing any art and was only an art admirer. I started painting when I felt I needed an outlet and it became an instrument like mediation. Sculpture wasn’t on my radar either and I started to learn figurative sculpture because I thought it could help me with my painting. But once I got more confident I realised that there is so much freedom when you can use virtually anything to create 3 d shapes. And things started to emerge almost unconsciously. I knew exactly what I wanted to make and very quickly found materials that helped reinforce my ideas. It was around the time that the war in Ukraine began and people around the world were shocked and were grieving and there was a sense of loss that didn’t have any rationale. Every day news feeds were filled with new stories and photographs of civilians killed in their homes in small villages. So I made a series of ceramic sculptures: faces with skin torn and damaged with marks left by metal tools, bullets and tyres. Their eyes are closed and the expression on their faces is serene as if they were caught by this disaster in their sleep. Innocent people violently killed by evil.

In a field where one is constantly a spectator of experimentation and extremes, how do you identify yourself? What is the essence of your art? How would you describe Katia as a person and as an artist?

It is amazing to be exposed to this free flow of ideas and concepts that we witness today. There are no boundaries and rules in art any more and that inspires more artists to experiment and think wider. At the same time I feel that lots of art is experimental in its form but lacks depth. For me a true artist is a philosopher and this is a much more difficult job than looking for new ways for expression. Ultimately you need to find the best way to say what you want to say.I am also taken aback by the political correctness that has become the new censorship of our times. On paper we live in a society with free expression of ideas. However in reality there are so many topics that have become taboos, and there are more and more every day. Almost nothing can be said without hurting someone’s feelings. Art is all its forms has always been at the forefront of questioning and challenging the existing norms and its disappointing that today artists who are continuing to do that are being marginalised and mediocre topics have taken the centerstage.

“I see art as an attempt to express artist’s ideas and emotions”

Painting is a two-dimensional transposition of an artistic concept, whereas sculpture involves a third dimension to enclose and realise a vision. What emotional and practical factors connect you to this art form? What do you think sculpture offers that other art forms don’t?

Our mind has am amazing ability to fill the gaps. You can see a painting with only part of a human body but you picture the rest in your mind’s eye. Yet you never forget that you are looking at a 2D representation no matter how skilful it described the volume and depth. Sculpture doesn’t have to overcome that problem. It works in the 3d realm which is natural for us. Any 3d object is real. It may describe something else that it is not but in the first instance it is real. So in that sense it has at least 2 layers; what this object is and what it means. On top of that you can see it from different angles and it has to make sense form every angle. This gives you 360 degrees to play with, every angle can suggest something new. And now you can add other media like photography, video, sound, light etc to add to this. Sky is the limit.

Your human representations: bruised faces, female bodies reminiscent of primitive statuettes…what do they represent? What lies behind the depiction of these figures? Are they a transposition of a deeper concept, or is it more of a stylistic and aesthetic approach?

Human body is one of the most studied subjects in art. It is a vessel for a life, for soul, for ideas. These concepts cannot be visually shown, we need to find a visual image to speak about us, human beings with our thoughts, feelings, beliefs. So a body and the way it is shown by an artist is often a metaphor of what is happening inside.

“Nothing can survive without change”

How do you think people around you perceive your art, from the broader public to your family and close relationships? Has your vision always been interpreted correctly?

I see art as an attempt to express artist’s ideas and emotions and in that sense I would want the viewer to be able to see my sculpture the way I see it. Finding my unique yet universal language that would speak to my audience in such a way that they will understand me, is my goal. At the same time I am not trying to convey a message or speak about any particular subject. Through my sculpture I am streaming a scope of ideas or questions and feelings and hope that the viewer can read them and is triggered to think further. In that sense there is no right or wrong way to interpret art, it’s already great if an art piece provokes questions and interpretations. But it is another level if it can deliver the idea that’s behind it. This is a very difficult task and requires talent, skill and wisdom.

Have there been any unexpected feedback or key moments that have shaped your artistic imprint? Has there been a change or evolution over the years, or has your vision remained constant and well-defined?

Nothing can survive without change. The world around us is constantly moving and the speed of information and change is unprecedented so our ideas and thoughts are shaped by this change whether we want it or not. Sculpture is a new way of living for me and the most important part for me is that it allows me to crystalise my thinking. A writer needs to find the right words to deliver his thought and the search for the right words makes him define his thought very clearly. A sculptor must also find that perfect way but it can only be found if you refine your thought in the first place. All this is a process which hopefully is never-ending.

A significant achievement you have recently reached and that you think could revolutionise your future. And looking ahead, what are you currently working on? What is your next project?

The more I’m involved with sculpting the more I can see outside the box. I am enjoying the freedom that it gives me in my work and in my thinking. I am working more in the direction of abstraction and larger scale which is very exciting. I started working on a new project which stems from what I was doing before but hopefully will allow me to find new forms.

Silent Witnesses

Credits:

Artist: Katia Berez / @katiaberez
Interview: Annalisa Fabbrucci / @annalisa_fabbrucci
Editor: Maria Abramenko  / @mariabramenko

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