Kira Phoenix K’inan with Christina Vagiotis from the Hellenic Centre
/ INTERTWIST / Kira Phoenix K’inan Solo Exhibition at the Hellenic Centre
by our man in Habana…
This evening I had the pleasure to see the solo exhibition, INTERTWIST, by glass artist Kira Phoenix K’inan. I had previously seen a selection of her work at different events she has taken part in, including FUSION IV in February and her XenoCell series held at The Lumen Gallery in January. However, to be able to stand in a room surrounded by her work gives us a glimpse into her creative mind, which is both aesthetically beautiful and emotionally powerful.
Her use of colour in all three mediums, glass, drawing and photography, is exquisite and each work asks you to keep looking as there is so much detail to be discovered.
Constructure In Multi Colours
Kira’s glass work, called the Constructre series, are glittering gems that float effortlessly over three walls.
Kira told me of the series of glass work, “The Constructure series takes delicate individual Relief Drawings and through fusing the layers in the kiln, creates a multilayered mesh that is stronger than any individual layer alone. I take inspiration from watercolour painting, especially the use of laying colour to create the illusion of depth. By layering the glass, the Constructure series evokes the illusion of further depth on a seemingly flat plane to reveal an undulating surface within the glass sculpture.”
Constructure In Amber
Intermingled with The Constructure series are three Relief Drawings, which was a technique Kira developed whilst she was a masters student at The Royal College of Art. “As a student I was interested in exploring traditional glass techniques and translating them with a contemporary vision. In particular I developed a unique technique, called the Relief Drawing Technique, that is cast in glass from a carved plaster sheet.”
The connection between Kira’s drawings and glass work is very clear. Her line work translates seamlessly between both mediums and the detail she goes to within her drawing keeps your focus. The Beautiful Trauma and Beautiful Bodies series are very personal works for Kira. She told me “I created these two bodies of works whilst I was processing two very difficult moments in my life. As the drawings flowed out of me is they initially started as pure emotion, that peaked, to finally settle in a state of calm.”
Beautiful Trauma, 3
Finally, her photographs, which are all taken on a Holga (120 medium format Lomo camera) encourage you to look closer to see all the detail within each image. Kira told me, “what I love most about taking photographs on film in a plastic camera that is prone to light leaks is I never really know what I am going see until it is processed, which is not dissimilar to my glass work, as I never know what the piece will look like till it is out of the kiln.”
The curation if the exhibition also keeps with the theme of a twisting line as none of the works are hung level with one another. This allows the viewers eyes to keep tracking the room.
Private View, Intertwist, The Hellenic Centre
To see Kira’s show, please visit The Hellenic Centre at 16-18 Paddington St, Marylebone, London W1U 5AS.
Free entry; for Opening Hours call : 020 7487 5060
Dates : 30th April – 16th May
Closet Tube Station : Baker Street
Supported by The Hellenic Centre
