Speaking in Tongues

 

Conceived from the triumvirate of materiality, locality and the subconscious, the limited edition works of Laura Kirar support the idea of objects as both non-functional and functional, art and design, sculpture and furniture, through an expression of familiar and surreal forms. Having a deep spiritual and physical connection to Mexico, Kirar creates a new volumetric language in union with artisans of various craft practices thus utilizing ancient materials and techniques to express her contemporary work.

 

Together, Laura Kirar’s pieces create a kind of “domestic theatre” comprised of a textured cast of inanimate characters, given life by the collaborations of Kirar and native artisans. Her conceptual work is craft elevated to art by the poetry of the hand, committed strongly to the historical symbolism of ancient cultures while deftly nuanced with the influence of modern life.

 

 

"Mexico has been my muse. My life in Mexico has changed my fiber. The inspiration for my pieces comes to me in my dreams. They are animals. They are trees. They have conversations in languages I do not speak but I can understand. My new work is the pursuit of giving life to these animate objects and allowing them to rest and converse in environments of human making and to interact outside the dream realm. To live with these pieces is to allow the fantastic otherworld in and participate in the mundane. I want to shake up the mundane. I work in contrasts. Utilitarian materials elevated by rarely used masterful technique and obsessive time consuming application. My work is both reductive and additive to reach a multi-layered point of balanced imperfection with a visual communication akin to speaking in tongues." -LK

 

This first edition collection of furniture and accessories by Laura Kirar, crafted in union with local artisans—and rendered with traditional techniques in age-old materials—will be at