How does the nation you are in determine your gender role? What specific notions of masculinity and femininity within the construct of nationhood determine this? Perhaps an artist from outside the United States is best able to help our community explore these questions. Polish artist Karolina Majewska’s sculptural work explores objectification and repression around the politics of the body. “The process of casting my body has given me the perspective to self-observe and accept the mortality of my physical form,” she says. During her residency at Surel’s Place, she will create intimate, imperfect self-portraits using casting techniques to build installations that are also metaphors for the body of a woman.

You may also work with Karolina in an Introduction to Casting: Creating Reusable Plaster Molds and Single-Use Alginate on March 30th. Register at surelsplace.ludus.com.

Biography:

Karolina Majewska Freeing is a visual artist based in Warsaw, Poland. She holds an MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts in New York (2017) and an MFA in Painting from the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts (2014). Karolina’s recent work explores the fragility and organic qualities of the human body. Her installations feature natural materials such as wax, wood, and clay. Karolina’s work has been exhibited in Poland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Austria, Cyprus, Switzerland and the United States. She has participated in conferences and talks related to her practice during Manifesta 12; Rixc, Art and Science Festival, Open Field Conference, and more.