ART DESIGN
Nika Neelova: Rethinking time and place with the help of sculpture
Article
Nika Neelova
Writer
Yana Karnaukhova
Nika Neelova is a British artist, sculptor, of Russian origin, who in recent years has attracted attention with her innovative approach to sculpture. Her work is a reflection on time, place and human experience, and she achieves this through the use of restored architectural materials and an unconventional manufacturing method.
Neelova’s work is deeply rooted in the idea that materials and architecture have a significant impact on how we perceive the world around us. She is interested in discovering and uncovering hidden stories and the variety of meanings that are hidden in inanimate objects such as architectural debris, and her art is an exploration of the human past.
Nika Neelova
Nika Neelova
“Bypassing straightforward means of fabrication, her work is concerned with finding modes of retrieving and revealing information that is already there and the multiplicities of histories concealed within in as a way of finding and imagining evidence of human pasts through inanimate things.”
Her sculptures are often created through a process of “reverse archaeology,” in which she takes found objects and discarded materials and transforms them in ways beyond their original function. Thus, Neelova makes a statement about the relationship between the present and the past.
As a result of this technique, her sculptures contain remnants of the human body and touch, but are transformed beyond their former purpose, creating a unique dialogue between the past and the present. For example, one of her works, “Fragility of the Epoch”, is a series of suspended sculptures made from abandoned building materials that form the skeleton frame. They cause a sense of decline and dissolution, while simultaneously suggesting the possibility of transformation.
Another notable work is “Silt”, a series of sculptures created from recycled wood and steel, shaped like arches and columns of classical architecture. These sculptures are elegant and intricate, allowing the viewer to see the possibilities of transformation that exist in these materials.
Nika Neelova
Nika Neelova
Nika Neelova
Nika Neelova
“Neelova draws connections between different time periods, disciplines, and philosophies, creating works that engage with different ideas and provoke thought.”
Neelova’s creativity is also characterized by her attention to material transformations. She seeks inspiration in the immanent latent power and energy that are contained in materials, using them to create sculptures that challenge conventional ideas about form and function. It focuses on transforming existing objects into other environments, decoding and transcoding their original purpose in order to create works of art in a completely new way.Her emphasis on material and structure is evident in the installation, in which she uses plaster and wallpaper to create a series of relief sculptures referring to traditional wall decorations. These sculptures are playful and subversive, suggesting the possibility of freedom and transformation beyond ordinary forms and functions.
Nika Neelova is a brilliant artist who uses recycled materials to explore deeper meanings that exist in the things we throw away. Her work is a meditation on time, place and human experience.
