Dream Windows by Marta Wawrzyniak-Ijichi
Pattern - Colour - Light
When I was a child my mind was used to constantly drifting between “reality” and “dream”,; “dream” being a state of indulging in day-dream, night-dream, music, visual and dramatic arts, flavour and scents. This was caused partially by the difficult experiences and harsh conditions I had to stand — a coping mechanism in order to survive through running away. Running away into “dreams” was the only method to feel alive...
The trauma has created a kind of permanent “illusion” state – not being able to distinguish between reality and dream — especially when something incredibly nice happened, it felt like a dream.
This exhibition is a result and expression of my permanent search to explore, understand and grasp the boundaries between “dream” and “reality”. It is dedicated to anybody interested in this topic. I would be more than happy if this exhibition could provoke feelings and thoughts related to important questions regarding life and our journey on Earth.
According to Carl Gustav Jung dreams are another type of reality. We often wake up in the morning, still see very clear, vivid images in our minds and realize in a fraction of a second that it was just a dream, but is “here” the reality? Nobody knows...
Falling asleep and dreaming, listening to music, tasting and smelling is like looking through a window. In many cultures windows symbolize hope, an escape, an alternative path, the unknown, and change.
“Dream Windows” invites you to experience, metaphorically and symbolically, the transition between two worlds: the inner world of the soul, dream, illusion, and the outside world on the other side, the reality. Or, is the inner world of the soul the reality? Are looking into the outside world, which is a projection, an illusion? Why are we curious or attracted to look through the window? What do we feel?
The window is the symbol through which we look into the other side. The landscape, or more stylized form of a garden outside the window, is the metaphor of the Other World, the Cosmos, the Universe we are longing to connect to. The Light and Shadow, Day and Night, the Sun and the Moon, are not opposing but complimenting. We can connect to the other side through opening of our minds and all chakra centres, through colours, free energy flow, music and art.
The design of my “Dream Windows” sculptural light art series is inspired by my sixteen year stay in Japan and the pattern designs of ancient Japanese Kumiko. Twelve artworks are divided into two sections representing two countries, Japan and Australia which I feel strong connection to… Japan’s gardens and Australian nature.
Part 1 JAPAN: are five black and white Dream Windows featuring Japanese garden imagery – a collaboration with Sydney-based Japanese photographer Naoto Ijichi
Part 2 AUSTRALIA: are seven colour Dream Windows symbolizing seven chakra energy centres and featuring my photographic images of Australian landscapes.
Marta is a Bulgarian born, Poland-raised, award-winning designer with over twenty years international experience in the art and design world. She has a degree in Japanese studies from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland and studied East Asian art history in Germany before moving to Japan. She is fluent in five languages: Polish, Japanese, English, German and Bulgarian.
Following her graduation of interior design studies in Tokyo, Marta had the opportunity to show her first Japanese culture inspired product “Tsuzumi Stool” at the Tokyo International Furniture Fair.
After working as interior stylist for television and magazines in Tokyo, and as a chief designer for Dutch style flower arrangement school in Yokohama, Marta published as author, photographer and designer her first book in Japanese—a guidebook to Polish products and interior design.
Her second book, which she art-directed, designed and translated into English “Ki-Yan’s Kyoto Food & Art” is a bilingual English–Japanese guidebook which introduces artworks by a Kyoto-based contemporary Japanese mural artist Ki-Yan (Hideki Kimura).
Drawing on her experience and knowledge of interior and product design, photography and graphic design from her time in Europe and Japan, and adding custom picture framing and woodworking experience in Australia, Marta is happy to share “Dream Windows” - her newest series of works and long-time dream to create a bespoke line of products. “Dream Windows” crosses the boundaries between art and product design, and reflects Marta’s passion for light, colour and craft, as well as love for Japanese aesthetic.
Join us for Opening Night of D/O.77 Dream Windows
October 19th from 5-7pm at Disorder Gallery
Marta’s work will be on display from
October 19th through November 4th at Disorder Gallery
DO.77 Dream Windows is proudly supported by
