Sandra Shashou Brazilian

When looking at Sandra's porcelain Towers, colour, beauty, strength, fragility, and emotion come to mind. My conversation with the artist discusses her path to becoming a sculptor and the contradictory elements in her work.

 

 WHEN DID YOU REALISE THAT YOU WANTED TO BECOME AN ARTIST? DO YOU COME FROM A CREATIVE BACKGROUND?

 

From my childhood in Sao Paulo, I created my own studio space in my parent’s apartment. My brother was away at boarding school, so I was like an only child to older parents on their second marriage. I would curate exhibitions in the lobby of the building. The tenants soon became aware of my art and were all encouraging and collected my work. I don’t come from an artistic family; quite the contrary. At 18, I attended evening classes to build up a portfolio for Ecole Nassim de Camando in Paris, which I sent off and was then invited for an interview. My father and I flew from London to Paris; I was thrilled to be offered a place at the interview.  But then my father said he did not want to send me, saying I should join the family business instead. Although I had no big value for money, I had a huge value for family, so that’s what I did. My art career was on hold, so to speak.

 

 

Eventually, in my early 40s, after I got married, had two boys and divorced, I pursued my dream by attending the Slade, then a BA specialising in Painting at City and Guilds London Art School in Kennington. Having waited so long, when I finally did go, I cherished every moment of studying and felt blessed that I could follow my true passion. The most valuable skill I learned was how to work in my space. By that, I mean how to work independently in a studio and be resourceful, experiment and research your subject and materials. To develop a practice with a unique artistic language and the discipline to work for days on end by yourself.

 

I started painting portraits with a particular interest in the human head, colours and texture. I also made abstract works, which developed into a series titled ‘Torn’ culminating in a solo show with Robert Sandelson Gallery in Cork Street. I would build up the surface, tear up the canvas, and sew it with silk thread. These paintings became increasingly sculptural. Simultaneously, I was experimenting with colourful antique porcelain tea cups, fragmenting them and applying the shards to my portraits. This led to working with the porcelain teaware alone, making large abstract collages on canvas. This was the beginning of my ‘Broken’ series and my first sculptures.

As a medium and a metaphor, the finest vintage and antique porcelain objects lend themselves well to my ‘Broken’ series and my ‘Towers’. Their preciousness, fragility, vulnerability, vibrant colours and unpredictable shapes have become my sculpting medium. I love working with the most colourful fine bone china. My favourites, to name a few, Herend, Limoges, Royal Stuart, Aynsley, Lomonosov and Royal Albert. Recently, for fun and to add more playfulness to the composition of my Towers, I have at least one object with polka dots. Teacup or teapot. 

 

Collecting is an integral part of my practice; this is where the work begins. I search continuously for specific colours, shapes, patterns and makes, which I store in transparent containers according to their colour. Only when I have all the pieces of porcelain will I start to construct my Tower. If I have to wait until I find a missing piece, for example, a fuchsia coffee pot to juxtapose against a yellow tea cup, I will wait. Each placement affects the overall composition. This process may take months before I am ready to build the sculpture. I lay out all my hand-picked tea and coffee pots, the tea and coffee cups and roses on a table covered in white paper. I move everything around, replacing, swapping and sometimes removing until I am happy with the sequence. This process may take months before I am ready to build the sculpture. I am thinking from a painter's point of view playing with colour.

 

 

The delicacy of the fine bone china is the centre of the work; I like to play with fragility and balance. The ‘Towers’ juxtapose both. Though the porcelain isn’t broken, their precarious arrangements challenge equilibrium. Propped on top of one another in slippery ways, it seems that everything might waver, slide, tumble and then break. The ‘Towers’ are abstract works; the porcelain objects are no longer for drinking or pouring. There has been a transformation. The tea and coffee ware have been repurposed and are now valued for their varied shapes, colours and the order in which they have been placed. They balance one on top of the other and at unsteady angles suggesting uncertainty and vulnerability.  I am driven to create a work that conceptualises a lived experience to connect with the viewer and provoke emotions we may share.

 

YOU OFTEN ADD COLOUR TO SOME (SMALL) AREAS OF THE WORK. WHY IS THAT?

 

I sometimes paint the porcelain roses to enhance the colours and connect them to the colours of the other objects.

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUILDING YOUR TOWER STUCTURES IS DIFFICULT AND COMPLICATED. WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES?

 

Because all my formal training was in painting, there was a lot about building sculpture that I did not learn at art school. I have continuously researched and sought advice from technicians on durability and quality. I have developed an internal structure that acts as an armature, making each work solid and secure. 

 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR WORK?

 

The human condition, emotions, and shared experiences are drivers. We all have to juggle many aspects of life, love, family, etc. We all strive to keep the balls in the air. I hope my work gives a shared sense of this.

 

DO YOU WORK ON MULTIPLE SCULPTURES AT THE SAME TIME?

 

Yes, I often work on several pieces simultaneously while constantly collecting porcelain for future pieces.

 

IS IT IMPORTANT HOW THE VIEWER REACTS TO YOUR WORK?

Indeed, very important. My intention is to create a dialogue and connection between the viewer and the work. A strong reaction is always good.

 

WHICH ARTISTS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY? DO ANY DIRECTLY INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

John Chamberlain, the American expressionist sculptor, influenced me significantly. I was blown away by his retrospective at the Guggenheim in New York in 2012. His use of colour in sculpture directly impacted my work.

 

WHAT OTHER INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE?

I love walking my dog in Primrose Hill, playing tennis and having delicious Friday night dinners with my family. I love to see exhibitions and museum shows.