Maria Barnas

Can words evoke images? When and where do they start to exist? 'Things I should have said' is a visual translation and manifestation of our inner world. In the attempt to solidify words before they are uttered, these porcelain sculptures become totems of distortion and transformation. With the series, Maria Barnas furthers her investigation into the relationship between language and visual arts. Muffling her voice through the act of speaking in clay, Barnas forges a new language into existence. Here language takes shape: the intangibility of the spoken word is materialized in porcelain sculptures that measure the size of an oral cavity. Words take shape in exquisite, yet bewildering objects. Through Barnas’ act and the interaction with the porcelain, moreover, words demand a new presence. What is concealed may have more tension than what is spelt out. 'Things I should have said' perpetuates and evolves throughout time, consistently adding new pieces to its unlimited series.