Mazai Almeida-Warwin

In my body of work, I’d like to achieve a kind of escapism. I’m interested in the relationship between nature and architecture. I also portray places that draw in the viewer.

There is a theme of solitude, inescapable solitude which can’t quite be ignored in such grand settings. The time of day is also a quiet time, which makes the solitude feel natural next to these wide spaces. I try my best to appreciate the architectural grandeur and the effect that a particular structure has on a place. A place is defined by what’s on it, and therefore the architecture can largely frame how a place makes you feel. There is also a theme of light. Be it lights from a sign, or time of day. Light is a huge influence on my works and it dictates the entire piece. It’s what I find most compelling, and It’s what creates visual interest in my works.

I’ve used woodcutting to explore lines and stark contrast. I used pastels to play with the idea of control, trying to maintain detail with a medium that is naturally messy and using that messiness to help convey naturally blurry light textures. The theme of places is explored in all my pieces and I explore this by isolating the places so that the viewer is the only person experiencing it.

I’ve been influenced by various artists and styles which have helped push my style further. Artists like Vicky Moon and Edward Hopper have inspired an aesthetic of places, particularly in how they interact with light. I’ve become infatuated by the relationship between places and lights, which create vibrancy and personality. Artists such as Hiroshige and Kasamatsu have inspired me in a much more stylized sense. Their art has shown me that even something like a structure or landscape can be painted or carved in a particular style. There isn’t one way to depict a place and that place can be captured in so many different ways.

I want the viewer to step into a place. I’ve displayed my work so that when someone walks up to my work, they feel as if they’re walking into a world in miniature. I placed the pieces directly in front of the viewer, giving each piece enough space to stand alone as a window into another place.I hope to create a space for each piece to be viewed as its own thing. The theme of this collection largely encompasses solitude, and by creating isolation in each piece helps amplify this theme within the viewer

The pieces are arranged so that you can really take time with each piece. None of them are stacked above each other, and all pieces are at eye view. When looking at my work, I want people to experience these places. I want them to be present in these places, to feel like the only one experiencing these vast places. I want the viewer to be alone with the scene, not in a sad way, but in a way that allows the viewer to appreciate the space, to look at it not to think or to critique, but to be present, to appreciate the reflection of the light.