Sandra Val is a sculptor who brings an extraordinary dimension to ordinary objects. Working with materials such as porcelain, brass, wood and textiles, Val will replicate everyday items such as chess pieces, doorknobs or vases. The material used to replicate these forms usually differs from their usual construction, and sculptural or architectural fragments are added to the composition. The resultant forms vaguely resemble the original object, but the material and compositional choices cloud any sense of clarity. Val cites her interest in the role of memory, and how it transforms our perception of time and space. This fascination with recollection can be found in this troubling and altering of recognisable things within Val’s work. In her own words “My research starts from a liminal state where pieces of tradition and present converge that I myself transmute and redefine, creating stories and new dialogues that speak to us of time and space”. This interest in familiar objects echoes the sculptural style of Claes Oldenburg, or a more contemporary reference could be the work of Rachel Whiteread. ...
