Marta Ģibiete creates new beings from pieces of glass; objects that appear to possess life, and one or two secrets on top of that. Like a miniature, mischievous God, she sculpts them a body, then breathes a soul into them. As the viewer, mesmerized, attempts to make contact with these alien life forms, he or she might ponder what constitutes consciousness, or personhood.
Marta Ģibiete works in various techniques, gaining particular recognition with spatial glass works created in an unusual technique and various scales. Marta's glass sculptures are geometric and simultaneously poetic, created by cleverly circumventing the complex nature of glass technologies. She discovered this unique technique very early – during her studies, achieving international recognition which includes two important awards. Since then, Marta has participated in exhibitions, symposia, and conferences worldwide. In her artwork, Marta also employs other techniques – she likes to create glass installations in various environments, use a mirror, play with its versatile nature. Marta Ģibiete is a Latvian glass artist, born and raised in coastal city of Liepāja, currently lives and works in Riga. Graduated from the Art Academy of Latvia with a master's degree. Marta's creative work is often shown in group exhibitions all over the world, there have been several solo exhibitions in Riga, Latvia and abroad. The artist's works are in the collections of glass and design museums of Europe and Japan, as well as Poland.
Text by Merle Kannus
Artist Statement
I am of those artists who are passionate about the creation process from the very first sketch, through the glass processing, to the final assembly of a work. While creating new works, I always find new ideas how to supplement the existing, how to do something differently, to further develop an image or a technical solution. Researching through process. Thus the collections of my glass objects are formed, each with a different visual and conceptual task. My works often are about cyclicality, rhythms of nature and our lives, about hopes, hopelessness, expectations, loneliness and a bit about sadness.
