1.Please introduce yourself and your creative practice?
I am María Elisa Quiaro, a mixed media artist based in Germany. I studied Graphic Design and Journalisms in Venezuela. Later in Cardiff, UK, I got a Master degree in Arts. In Germany I became a teacher of history and theory of Art. Although collage is my favourite form of art expression, I also work with encaustics and ceramics.
2. What draws you to the medium of collage?
The fact that the composition is the most important aspect of making a collage. To collage is to develop a story with only a few elements. A good collage is almost an act of magic.
3. What is your initial starting point when you make a piece of work?
Normally, I begin with a word, and idea or a concept that I want to develop in collage form. It takes time for me to search for the right image. After finding it, I enjoy composing the elements until they come to life and tell a story.
4. Do you recollect the first collage you ever made? Can you describe it?
As a child I used to cut up magazines and rebuild figures. They were never glued to a paper surface. I kept the remade characters to play with.
Many years later I reconnected with Collage, when I made an alphabet book for my daughter with cut and paste illustrations. After that I got infected by the virus of collage.
5. What time of day do you feel the most creative?
I prefer working during the day because of the light, but is even more important being able to work for long uninterrupted periods of time.
6. Can you describe your work space. Is it messy or neat?
It is always a cycle, before I begin a new project, I must tidy up my studio space. Working on the pieces is always a mad messy time.
Soon I will start renewing my studio, so I will get a bigger place to have more chaos!
7. What is the most precious object in your work space?
Some old bookbinder tools and small printers cabinet for letter press storage. And a book full of beautiful wood engravings that I still do not dare to cut up.
8. Scissors or Scalpel?
Scalpel, 90% of the time.
9. If there was one artist that you could hang out with for a day, who would that be and why?
Pep Carrió, his work is simply fantastic, I would love to meet him one day. We would have a chat about “the symbology of a message in a bottle”, and the poetry of images.
10. Are you working on any exciting projects at the moment. If so, can you tell us a bit about it?
I am always busy with new things, for example, besides collage, I am working again on Assemblage boxes.
At the moment I am also organising an international Collage exhibition with a very selected group of artists.