Juan Parada

Combining algorithmic precision with personal, poetic gestures, Juan Parada’s (BR) ceramic reliefs effortlessly flow from organic to geometric and back again. A diamond pattern twists into a flurry of whirling smoke; an intricate play of lines creates innumerable intertwining shapes and figures. The Brazilian artist uses software to create a basic design that may consist of over a hundred separate pieces and then shapes each piece individually to create more depth and movement. Glazes and the play of light turn each work into a vivid world of infinite detail. During his residency at EKWC, Parada explored a different approach: he adjusted the texture of the clay to emulate the plasticity of oil paint, and used it to apply thick ‘brush strokes’ to two 100 x 100 cm clay panels. The resulting reliefs evoke natural phenomena from a microscopic to a cosmic scale.