Jennifer Maestre’s vibrant kinesthetic sculptures, crafted meticulously from colored pencils, traverse the spectrum between fantasy and reality, offering an otherworldly experience rooted in a tactile dance of textures. Drawing inspiration from nature and mythical lore, Maestre channels the ethereal essence of creatures like sea urchins, whose beguiling yet perilous spines evoke a complex interplay of allure and caution. The medium of cut pencils defies its ordinary purpose, evolving into intricate artworks that elicit both admiration and introspection. With nods to artists such as Ernst Haeckel and Odilon Redon, Maestre’s creations become conversations between the organic and the abstract, where vivid pigments and surprising forms breathe life into otherwise static materials.
In the contours and colors of Maestre’s sculptures, paradox reigns supreme. Each piece oscillates between the gentle and the fierce, challenging tactile perceptions and aesthetic conventions. The enigmatic beauty possesses a hypnotic pull that compels observers to reconsider the essence of commonplace objects. By transforming pencils into jagged, fluid masterpieces, Maestre breaks the boundaries of artistic norms, deftly enhancing the discourse on form and function. Her work not only redefines conventional art-making practices but also revitalizes the familiar through unexpected juxtapositions of shape, texture, and hue. Maestre’s imaginative world thrives on the precipice of danger and elegance, where her sculptures embody the dualism of attraction and repulsion, drawing admirers into an intricate exploration of the unknown.
My sculptures were originally inspired by the form and function of the sea urchin. The spines of the urchin, so dangerous yet beautiful, serve as an explicit warning against contact. The alluring texture of the spines draws the touch in spite of the possible consequences. The tension unveiled, we feel push and pull, desire and repulsion. The sections of pencils present aspects of sharp and smooth for two very different textural and aesthetic experiences. Paradox and surprise are integral in my choice of materials.
Jennifer Maestre
More info: Website.
