Redemption Series
Redemption critiques the relationship between social relevance and inequality. Every piece, though built by hand in Brooklyn, pays homage to the traditional hand-building techniques found in the Yorubaland region of south-western Nigeria. Using the Gele-headwrap as a signifier, Malene blends her two-year-study of the slab building technique with an inquiry into the uncertainties of life to construct sculptures in rippling layers of clay. She gathers inspiration for her twisted sculptures from the unpredictable obstacles we encounter in life. The bold, organic patterns are etched freehand using underglazes and wax to reference the dye resist technique used in Adire textiles.
Adire I, 2020
14.4 x 7 x 7 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
Adire II, 2020
17 x 7 x 7 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
Adire III, 2020
14 x 4 x 4 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
Adire VI, 2020
14.4 x 6 x 6 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze,
I See You, 2020
15 x 8 x 8 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
Folded 2020
11.5” x 7” x 7” Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
(Private Collection)
Adorned I 2020
16 x 8 x 8 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
Adorned II 2020
20 x 6 x 6 in Terracotta, Glaze, Underglaze
Redemption Series Video