Boy, 2011 - Klara Kristalova

Working primarily in ceramic, the artist Klara Kristalova brings to life characters that seem to have emerged from the fabric of fairytales and mythology—a half-man, half-donkey, for instance, or a woman sprouting tree branches from her arms. Beneath the initial veneer of childlike innocence, however, is an undertone of something more sinister, due in part to the incomplete narratives Kristalova presents us. Why is this blindfolded woman in tears, one must ask, or why is that man submerged in a pool of water? Ominous parts of the story remain untold in Kristalova's work, and her muted color choices—flesh tones are used sparingly—give her characters a somewhat ghoulish appearance.

Kristalova's art has been featured in many international exhibitions, including shows at the Kunstvereniging Diepenheim in The Netherlands (2010), the 11th Fellbach Small Sculpture Triennial in Germany (2010), the Brugge Central in Belgium (2010), SITE Santa Fe (2009), and the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (1997).
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