K&K Art Galeria » Maria Janiga

Maria Janiga - essay

Tytuł

12 February 2026

MIEJSCE WYSTAWY -

CZAS TRWANIA-

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Maria Janiga’s spatial work occupies a special place in her artistic output, constituting a natural extension of her explorations in painting and graphic art. It is in three-dimensional forms that her way of thinking about art is most fully revealed—as a process of bringing matter, symbol, and space together. Her objects, made primarily from papier-mâché and ceramics, exist on the borderline between sculpture, relief, and functional forms, while also carrying a distinct weight of meaning, referring to universal cosmic structures and archetypal imagery.

One of the most distinctive features of this work is her choice of material. Papier-mâché, a fragile and impermanent medium, is transformed by the artist into a means of expressing ideas of permanence, harmony, and the order of the world. This paradox—the juxtaposition of the material’s ephemerality with the timelessness of the symbol—is a key feature of her practice. Objects such as compositions with solar-cosmic themes take the form of circular shields, disks, or star-like structures, which may be sculptures as well as functional objects, such as lamps. In this way, Janiga aligns herself with the tradition of integrating art into everyday life, close to modernist ideas of the unity of form and function familiar from the work of artists such as Isamu Noguchi and Alvar Aalto. At the same time, her works retain the character of unique artifacts, far removed from industrial production and closer to artistic craft.

On the formal level, the circle plays a particularly important role, recurring in many of her works. As a perfect, closed figure, the circle evokes cosmic symbolism, the cyclical nature of nature, and the idea of unity. Janiga’s objects can be read as contemporary counterparts to mandalas or cosmological signs, which not only organize visual space but also suggest a contemplative dimension. In this respect, her work has certain affinities with the practices of artists such as Anish Kapoor and James Turrell, although, unlike their monumental and often spectacular works, Janiga’s pieces remain intimate, focused, and materially tangible.

Ceramics, especially work made using the raku technique, are also an important aspect of her spatial practice. Based on the action of fire and the unpredictability of its effects, this process introduces an element of chance and natural force into her works. The ceramic surfaces bear traces of cracks, discoloration, and irregularities, which fit within an aesthetic of imperfection close to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. At the same time, the forms of these objects—often elongated and organic, with irregular contours—point to an interest in nature as a source of inspiration. In this context, Janiga’s work can be compared with that of artists such as Peter Voulkos and Lucie Rie, who also treated ceramics not as functional craft but as a fully fledged sculptural medium.

The artist’s experience in designing museum exhibitions is also significant, shaping the way she thinks about space. Her objects do not function as autonomous entities, but as elements of a larger whole—a visual environment in which the relationship between the work, the space, and the viewer is important. In this respect, her practice comes close to strategies used by artists such as Mirosław Bałka and Daniel Buren, for whom the exhibition context is an integral part of the work.

A characteristic feature of Janiga’s work is the tension between intuition and construction. Although her forms appear organic and spontaneous, in reality they are carefully considered and subordinated to a specific compositional order. Her attention to rhythm, symmetry, and proportion is evident, testifying to strong technical foundations and formal awareness. This combination of controlled structure and openness to the material’s own effects is one of the most compelling aspects of her art.