Valerie Schönjahn
Location
Zürich, Switzerland
About
After completing her Architecture studies in Munich, Valerie went on to work in Munich, Switzerland and Perth. Drawn to work on residential projects, which prioritise heritage and identity as well as being a thoughtful response to the local context.
Stepping from Architecture to art in 2021, Valerie has taken with them these key themes; the heartbeat of individual stories and regarding context. Working within a variety of materials and scales, Valerie’s work is mostly sculptural, ranging from small vessels to large scale installations.
As an emerging artist Valerie have been included in Juried art Prizes as well as group and solo Exhibitions. Some of their recent highlights include solo exhibitions at Belconnen Art Centre in Canberra (2023) and the Vancouver Art Centre in Albany (2024). Exhibiting at Michael Reid in NSW and at Gallery Centra, Perth, both in 2024. Their work has been recognised with several awards, most recently winning the Maquette and Small Sculpture Exhibition at Castaway, Rockingham (2024).
Valerie values engaging with local communities, extending their network and knowledge by undertaking residencies, recently at the Vancouver Art Centre in Albany in 2023 and at ReMida, Perth in 2024.
Her work is held in both public and private collections.
Artist Statement
A visual inquiry in to developing form through embodied knowledge.
As I continue to uncover what my art practice is, the idea of rhythm and movement is recurring. Discovering the need in my being for rhythm and repetition and being fascinated by the repetitive motions present in my environment.
I am finding that there is a strong rhythm necessary to my making; my repetitive movements become like a dance. Crystalising in my sculptures, weather they are clay or woven, collected or assembled, my motion is embedded. How I alter materials, how I forage along a beaten track; at the core lies a repetitive and rhythmical practice.
It is the same dance, applied many times over, so similar, but slightly different, when read as a story, the work is an indication of my personal state at the time, they are all variations to a theme.