EXHIBITION STATEMENT
Carpenters Workshop Gallery is proud to return to TEFAF New York with a presentation of the work of two ground-breaking women artists, Ingrid Donat and Line Vautrin, who have been brought into dialogue within the space of the booth. Their collective commitment to exquisite materiality and the artist’s hand in their practice underlines a cohesive union of two distinct creative perspectives. Ingrid Donat, who has curated this display, has brought together a considered selection of artistic voices in which to imagine a space of collaborative creative conversation.
Donat presents a unique insight into the breadth of her own work in bronze, displaying pieces from monumental cabinets to mirrors and objets d’art. Donat’s bronzes are immediately recognizable by the intricate patterns that cover their surfaces, but her artworks express a totality that is evidence of her original development as a sculptor in the company of Sylva Bernt and Diego Giacometti. Only since 2005 has Donat concentrated on abstract iconographies, expressing a universal language on the skin of her artworks as a fundamental link between language, geometry, and material. Her artworks now bear witness to a limitless gesture, spread across her rich and complex oeuvre.
Shown in discourse with the work of Donat, is a rare collection of vintage circular mirrors by Line Vautrin, focusing on variations on her favorite sun motif. Framed in explosive compositions of colored glass and hand–made resin, the convex mirrors revisit the style of 15th century miroirs de sorcière, or witch mirrors, the results of the artist’s research into mythology and alchemy. Similarly, Donat’s distinctive designs seek to express a universal language through her abstract iconographies. Their shared approach is united by a desire to push the boundaries of traditional artistry and explore the expressive potential of materials.
Donat has invited a careful grouping of creative collaborators to add to the presentation by choosing pieces from Vincenzo de Cotiis’ En Plein Air series emphasizing a playful use of light and shadow through his use of materials like semiprecious stones, Murano glass, recycled resin, and cast brass. In contrast, Roger Herman’s ceramic artworks highlight the German artist’s mastery of color and texture, with bold and expressive pieces that challenge traditional forms. Nacho Carbonell and Frederik Molenschot’s captivating light sculptures, which dynamically explore the interplay between light and material. Finally, Najla El Zein’s seminal work Hay invites the viewer to engage with the immersive experience of an otherworldly landscape. Together, these diverse artists offer a unique exploration of the creative potential of materiality and craftsmanship in contemporary art.
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