Beautiful Art: Marian Shapiro

Until a few years ago, I thought about mosaic mainly as decoration, to be relegated to bathrooms, kitchens, gardens and spas. Then I came across a few artists whose work completely changed my mind and I realised the possibility of mosaic as an art form. Marian Shapiro is one of those artists; she uses glass, stone, hand-made glass fusions, and various other materials to create engaging, beautiful art. Through her skilful use of colour, subtle shading, original  view of everyday objects, and creative use of media, Marian’s work always surprises me and fills me with wonder.

The first thing that struck me about Marian’s work is her use of colour. In her pieces, colours blend effortlessly into each other; considering the nature of her chosen medium, this is an impressive feat.

Water – Ice – Field – Red – Air – Blue

I also love Marian’s ability to mix a variety of materials and still retain unity and balance. In her Forbidden Fruit series, small three-dimensional pieces inspired – but not limited – by nature, she stretches the boundaries of mosaic even further, incorporating silk and feathers into her intriguing creations. Silk and glass, soft and hard,  combine harmoniously into organic, textural sculptures that could belong in Wonderland.

Anya – Candace

Lilith – Marlene

Floradora – Estella

The Elemental Women series – four female forms  inspired by the elements – is another example of her ability to mix totally different materials and create harmony out of diversity.

Naiad – Demeter

Naiad’s glistening body suggests that the water-nymph just emerged from the water; Demeter’s green, lush body makes me think of the ripeness of the Earth in Summer.

Hestia – Selene

Hestia’s flaming body seems to be leaping out of the hearth; Selene, my favourite elemental lady, simply mesmerises me: her delicate, shimmering body seems to gently float in the air, almost defying gravity.

In the Kilim series, inspired by Nureyev’s grave in Paris,  Marian explores the texture and movement of fabric, demonstrating once again her innovation, creativity and great sense of colour.

Kilim – Kilim II

Autumn Kilim – White Kilim

In her most recent works, exhibited at the Breathing Colours Gallery last March, Marian plays with familiar objects,  looking at their characteristics in new ways and suggesting that things are not always as they appear.

Find more images of Marian’s beautiful artworks in her website and in her brand new catalogue, based on her last solo show “Fabrication”.

Photo Credit – Marian Shapiro

Tagged as: artist, Beautiful Art, glass, Inspiration, mixed media, mosaic, sculpture, wall art