An interview with artist Mireia Donat Melus

Please tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in Ontinyent, a village near the mountain in the area of Valencia, Spain. I came to London because it’s a multicultural city that has a lot of possibilities to know different visions of the world, as well as fresh art. Some of the pieces I show here have been my first photographic works during my studies. I’ve always felt more comfortable with the tridimensional world which is sculpture, working with my hands, to feel the materials and the textures. My work is made from nylon and empty silicon, fibre among other materials.

What inspired you to begin your artistic career?

I think the decision to study art was already decided since my early drawings, since I was a little girl I felt the need to represent the reality, I used to do it at any time and place. I felt frustrated when I did not know what to draw, which was very funny in a four year old girl. This, with the curiosity to learn more and more, did not change when I finished my studies and I had to decide on my formation in the university, so it was more like a feeling of obligation to correspond my creative needs, like a thought that I already had. one year ago I finished the career after five years, I think they have been the best stage in my live until now.

What do you do when you’re not using your creative brain?

Do you have any favourite artists out there?

The artist for which I have had always more fixation is Louise Bourgeois, her works are for me one of the best ways to translate the experiences and feelings to the sculptural discipline, I love her work, how it links consistent and profound way with psychoanalytic theory and practice, as well as her contribution to feminist art of 70’s. Other artists like Hans Bellmer and the provocative artwork of Sarah Lukas have been always in my referents. Obviously I have a lot of referents, sometimes acording with the concepts that I treat and other times not so much.

Who’s your personal style icon and why?

Really no one in whom I can see me reflected but, I can find my personal style icon in to many different kind of people, generaly the people around me, from my mother, my friends, my partner or some teacher that I had until some person with I speak a few minuts in the tube, because for me is a really subjective thing. I think that you never can know in who you can see you reflected.

Do you have a favourite piece of artwork?

There are a lot of art pieces that I love, I can’t choose just one. I have a kind of obsession with one little sculpture, the “Venus of Willendorf” belonging to the paleolithic. Could be one of the first representations of the woman body of our history, The first time that I saw her I was eight years old and I was captivated by her chubby curves, I couldn’t avoid making a replica in bronze in my third year of my career.

How do you see yourself in five years time?

It’s difficult to know or guess what is gonna happen; five years ago I didn’t expect to be living in London so, who knows what, when or why the things happen. The life is certainly unpredictable. I think I still have a long way to go, in five years I hope to be a successful artist and reach my goals proposed and simply enjoy them.

Any exciting projects in the pipeline?

Yes, I have some new projects in progress. At the moment I’m trying to move my artwork to other kind of surfaces, perhaps extend the concept of these to other conclusions. I would like to continúe with this kind of textile materials but probably in other way of exposing it.