Jill Skulina
The visual narrative within my work deliberately uses heavily female topics and imagery as a reaction to years of mothers and motherhood in art being diminished. At the start of my artistic practice I second guessed and questioned the validity of my art and what it represented because mother artists were not taken seriously. For those very reasons I have always felt it was my duty to keep making the work and take up space as a female artist. It’s what keeps me going, That and if I don’t get to make work I get twitchy and grumpy. Up until now my practice has been based solely on my own life experiences, moving forward I want to bring the stories of others into my narratives. I am interested in the diversity within the universal banner of ‘motherhood’; what the word means to those who haven’t a child to show for their efforts; those who don’t want children; differing cultural and societal backgrounds; transitional stages of motherhood; and those who are healing from their own mother wounds. I would characterise my practice as one of self healing, vulnerability and of quiet activism. My work portrays emotional strength and transformation through candid and vulnerable narratives. I tackle memories of life events: memories which may be inaccurate, misremembered or one-sided. Alongside the misshapen narratives there are sensual ceramic forms digging into personal trauma; the evolving relationship with myself and how it shows up in the body in many forms including physical pain or weight gain; I seek out joy and deeper connections; deal with depression, emotional pains, menopause; self hate; self love, and healing. Clay, textiles and drawing are my primary mediums. Textiles and drawing are skills I have honed since a young age and are reliable mediums. Ceramics came much later in life and has progressed my practice like no other medium before it. I found I could explore new subjects with the visual aesthetic it provided. I am consistently striving to know clay better and understand its possibilities. I'm particularly drawn to its ability to hold expressive marks, molds, impressions and drawings for eternity and the never ending ways in which it can be used expressively and practically, including where the two intersect.
