For the series of artist interviews The Magma Chambers, we asked our Instagram followers to drop a few questions to Telma Har through our stories before her exhibition began.
Here are her answers.
One year has passed since Telma Har’s participation in the collective exhibition Surroundings / ENVIRONMENT held in San miniato, Tuscany in November 2023.
This year Telma comes back to Italy with a new bold, thought provoking body of work: Arcanæ Figuræ, feminine self portraits from the Nordic folktales.
Arcanæ Figuræ (from Latin: mysterious creatures or mysterious characters) is the interpretation of some of the most famous Nordic legends through photographic self-portraits and handmade costumes. Telma Har brings to life tales of hidden women, mythical creatures and other traditional female characters, impersonating the protagonists out in the Icelandic nature.
While preparing for the opening day, we asked our Instagram followers to drop Telma some anonymous questions that we would then ask her during the event.
It was a pleasure to notice that all the curiosity was for the artist’s inspiration, her creative process and her relationship with the project.
We selected a few questions to which Telma gladly answered: here they are.
Q1: Amazing art Telma! Where do you get your inspiration?
I can say that everything around me can be of inspiration: art, music, people.
Very often though, my art is a reflection of something very personal, living inside me: there’s always something about me in my works, about what I feel, perceive and experience. But the final work it’s not necessarily a representation of a specific thing that inspires me.
Q2: What drives you to photograph nature?
I do all kinds of photographic work, and very often it’s not actually linked to nature. For this specific series I had to shoot in a natural environment because the stories and folktales very often have to do with the outdoors and have a strong nature component.
Q3: What connection do you have with the folktales you chose to represent, and what importance Icelandic folklore has for you?
Icelandic folktales are part of our identity as Icelanders: they are part of the landscape, of our history and so on. We grew up with these stories, they were told to us when we were kids, often during road trips: they were tough to hear sometimes, and the ones my parents told me have stuck with me for a long time. They are almost an integral part of our childhood and memories. It came to me naturally to reflect and represent some of these tales.
I have also been thinking a lot about myself in the past years, about subjects like emotional and genetic inheritance, generational trauma and so on. And when I started researching more and more into these topics I thought it would be interesting to give it a specific woman’s perspective, and make it a stronger point for reflection.
Q4: Would you ever use models other than yourself?
Hmmm… no! (Laughs)
Not in this moment at least. The creation time for me is a very personal and private moment: I usually am alone during preparation and shooting, it is me becoming someone new every time, turning myself into anything I want. It is very liberating, even though it can be time consuming sometimes. It would be weird for me to let someone else into this process, but never say never.
Q5: Do you ever feel shy or exposed when showing your art?
I think every artist can feel vulnerable a little bit, doesn’t it?
In general I’m a shy person, I can be very shy around people. However when I am creating I am usually setting it up in front of the camera. I am creating a scenario with costumes and because I believe i can change myself into whatever I want it is not a realistic portrait of myself. You can say that my creative process is very personal , but the end result is very often not connected to me as an individual, even though it always starts with me and my perspective on a specific instance. That’s why I wouldn’t say I’m shy while exhibiting.
There was a lot of interest also from the audience in what Telma had to say, and there were other questions more related to the characters in the work.
It was interesting to discover a creative process that starts within the artist, has a very intimate and personal element in it, but has as an end result an artwork that does not talk about the artist as a person; rather a universal, broader concept with which everyone can relate.
Where you can find Telma Har’s works
A selection of open and limited edition fine art giclée prints by Telma Har is available on our online shop and more prints from Arcanæ Figuræ will be out soon.
Of course, subscribers to our mailing list will be the first to know!
If you have special requirements regarding size, framing, or quantities and need a personalised consultation, you are very welcome to book an appointment or send us an email at info@magma-artspace.com : we will make sure to find the perfect solution for your needs.
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