Shining DESPAIR
Malene Kastalje
Denmark

Neckpiece “It Grew Until There Was Nothing Left”, 2023
Silicone, pigment, neodymium magnet, 160x400x280 mm

I am preoccupied with the unpredictable and abnormal aspects of life. Through the fragile beauty of the present moment, my work often hints at atmospheres unfolding beneath the surface and at inner and outer landscapes that emerge and fade – frozen, blooming, and decaying. The work evolves in a hybrid of sensuous moods, reflecting my experience of a deeply unsettling reality and the incomprehensible wonders of nature. I work alchemically with my hands in the material slowly modelling layer by layer, an intuitive process of chaos and perfection.

More « Shining DESPAIR »

Shining Despair – Juan Harnie / Belgium

As a child, I would watch my mother patch up worn garments …

Shining Despair – Selma Leal / Spain

« The desperation of corals shines before our eyes through their bleaching, »

Shining Despair – Esteban Erosky / Mexico-Spain

Our ability to transform things is so powerful …

Shining Despair – Denis Music / Ukraine

The idea of the « Attention » brooch emerged during the challenging days of 2023.

Shining Despair – Carmen Lopez / Spain

Spinning reflections on the title of the competition.

Shining Despair – Aya Iwata / Japan

The theme « Shining Despair » merges two opposing concepts: brilliance and despair.

Shining Despair – Kamile Staneliene / Lithuania

The brooch “Shining Despair” reflects the contrast between life’s darkness and the light that endures within it.

Shining Despair – Jina Seo / USA-South Korea

My work reveals inner conflict and suffering by contrasting societal expectations with the personal turmoil I often experience.

Shining Despair – Susan Buchanan / Australia

The Earth flexes its muscle, the applied concrete ‘urban skin’ breaks open and a microcosm of life is created in the cracks in the pavement.

Shining Despair – Wiebke Pandikow / Finland

Biodegradable plastic bags have been reworked into a basket-like object …