About the Show

 

Artist Marina Caliari’s “Sunday Lunch” – Works by Marina Caliari is a skillfully done, delicious, ceramic (with bits of mixed media) exhibit. The word delicious fits because there is much ‘food’ to be had here. Food that is savory or sweet and juicy, rich with food for thought, and rich in emotional expression. Included in this show are shrines honoring remembrance or for wishes to be made, vessels to pour, or with ravens atop looking smart-alecky or make-believe wise. 

Caliari is a master with contrasts, such as a delicate array of flowers and tender leaves, singing with bold, bright colors. Deep colors are everywhere in her work.

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“Sunday Lunch” is like opening a personal diary filled with everything from quirky to compassionate; Caliari generously shares her personal story of love and appreciation. Her ceramic pieces are visual treats from her past, yet they are not overly sentimental; they are brimming with heart.  Caliari's work also brings our attention to our present world, not all of which is pleasant or light. She effectively communicates by making her statements with humor and candor worth pondering. 

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Experiencing these accessible, relatable, ceramic gems, you’ll want to take a deeper look and then hold them closely. Every piece has the possibility to teach us remembrance, question ourselves, or just make us smile. 

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Caliari is serving the viewer much that is tasty, laughable, and fun, but also confronting and thought-provoking. She does this by representing a memory of family gatherings and drawing our attention to how sharing in tradition seeps into our being. Viewing Caliari’s artwork stimulates our own memories and sharing, and it also calls us to welcome others’ traditions and ways to the table.

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Artist Statement

 

Artist Marina Caliari talks about her show “Sunday Lunch”- Works by Marina Caliari at the Nevada City Winery Gallery.

 

“Sunday Lunch” is my new body of work. The pieces are in part inspired by growing up in Brasil in a very tight-knit family, and the memories of gathering, cooking, and spending time with my grandmas. Like many other families in Latin America, it’s a very common practice for the extended family to gather for lunch, usually on the weekends. Sometimes the lunches were organized by the paternal grandmother and other times by the maternal one. 

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Through these pieces, I’m telling stories of when I was surrounded by the loud noises of my cousins talking all at the same time, of my maternal Portuguese grandma, charmingly explaining about her “7 incurable diseases”, and my paternal grandma, an indigenous woman, telling amazing stories about how she used to hunt boar and make soap. The most vivid memories are the ones involving food. During the summer, my Portuguese grandma used to make her famous braised sardines, and there were lots of barbeques. My family’s love language was food. Every member had a special dish they prepared every now and then. My mom is also a cook, and the kitchen was the main room, no matter which house we were in. 

 

My paternal grandma is a big influence in my life. Her name was Maura, and she’s represented by the several papayas on the front wall of the Nevada City Winery Gallery. I would often watch her plant, fish, cook, and hear her talking about how much she loved papayas: “You have to eat the seeds as well because they’re good for your belly”. Maura also had the ability to make delicious savory pies using what was left from the meal from the day before. 

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In “Sunday Lunch” the memories of my family gatherings get mixed up with more recent events, like my life in Nevada City, the present situation of the country, and more broadly, the world. Some pieces contain a call for action, a bit of sarcastic sense of humor, and anger towards the never-ending ignorant intolerance many people experience in the United States. It’s also about how community, although crucial, can be undeniably inconvenient. Families from cultures that gather more often become more used to the challenges that community can bring. Many people who grew up in a society that pushes for individualism may never get to experience those challenges. 

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This show is a pledge for community and an intent to convey a message that culture comes from a deep-rooted place. Culture needs a soul; it needs to be built layer by layer with conversations, music, and food, and it cannot be picked apart and have unwanted parts discarded. It is, in fact, the antidote for any individualistic society and the best way to celebrate our stories and to cultivate mutual understanding.

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About the Artist

 

Marina Caliari was born and raised in Vitória, Brasil, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Federal University of Espírito Santo. She continued her studies by attending the postgraduate program in conservation and restoration of cultural heritage in Barcelona, Spain, and then specializing in the conservation of archaeological ceramics in Albarracín, Spain. Marina spent nine years in Barcelona working as a restorer, a teacher, and an artist. 

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In addition to extended studies in Spain and Brasil, she participated in studio residencies at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, the Free Oakland UP gallery in Oakland, and JIWAR - Barcelona International Residence for artists and Research in Urban Creativity. She participated in exhibitions in the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Brasil, and the United States. 

 

Marina is mainly a mixed media artist, but in 2012, while in Brasil, she fell in love with hand-built ceramics all over again and has been making sculptures and functional work ever since. Currently, she lives with her husband and son in California, where she works in her little studio in the backyard. She feels very lucky to be nestled by trees and near magic rivers and lakes. 

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Marina's Website​

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