Marlene Kawalez: Exploring Grief and Nature Through Sculpture

A sculptural figure, depicting a seated human form, with a textured surface resembling natural materials, conveying a sense of introspection and connection to nature.

Marlene Kawalez is a Canadian artist known for her work in clay, wood, and glass. She created “Twilight” (above and below) during a period of personal loss and sadness, to explore themes of grief, comfort and solitude.

A ceramic sculpture depicting a seated figure in deep contemplation, with hands covering their face and branches extending from their back, symbolizing grief and introspection.

The sculpture is ceramic, a material Kawalez frequently uses to express raw emotions and connect with nature. It portrays a figure in a state of deep introspection and grief, with branches emerging from its back.

It is within the lines of a petrified piece of wood or the crevice in a centuries old rock that a story is waiting to be evoked. My practice is based in the moment of invention, which seeks to locate the story of the material in order to give form – Marlene Kawalez.

A ceramic sculpture depicting a figure in a state of deep introspection and grief, with arms wrapped around its knees and branches emerging from its back.

Kawalez says that for the last few years, she has been “creating pieces that often explore themes of life, the reflection of time, and the peeling away of exterior layers to reveal internal intricacies.”

Marlene Kawalez website, here.

At the Sculptors Society of Canada, here.