Telluric Silhouettes

Creators united by their intimate connection to materials, by the expression of their world through the color black, and by their love of texture. As sculptors of silhouettes, Reinata Sadimba and Tiemar Tegene engrave, carve, and shape their figures until they come to life. A life breathed into existence by texture rather than by backgrounds. A life written from a feminine perspective. They explore phases of existence, or the emotions their subjects experience: love, grief, or even discord.

The cosmos and its beings lie at the heart of their creation. Centered on the human experience, Sadimba’s universe encompasses a wide range of expressions; meanwhile, through the imprint of textures and patterns, Tegene imbues her works with a material depth and an almost telluric force. The two artists also share a penchant for grays and blacks. These are the only colors Sadimba allows herself to use on her ceramics beyond the natural terracotta, and she does so through the use of minerals: lime and graphite. As for the role that community plays in both artists’ work, it is significant. Tegene focuses on emotions with which viewers can identify, such as grief, while Sadimba creates collective scenes. For Tegene, the individual experience serves as a gateway to a more universal experience: the figures depicted evoke emotional states that everyone can recognize. In Sadimba’s work, by contrast, the community manifests itself directly through the presence of groups, bodies, or even gathered heads, and through scenes that highlight the relationships between individuals.

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.