Etiye Dimma Poulsen

I constantly strive to shape or represent figures in their primary space - beings in their most naked, primal aspect, as symbols of the fundamental existential condition: solitude, fear, desire.

But above all, it's about being, being-there, being part of - belonging to ... advancing ... a primordial presence, a trace of human culture on earth. Each character is a trace rather than a portrait; that's why I enjoy seeing my statues together - forming a community, a group of totems - like a forest...

For me, creating is a process, a river. I aim to communicate a joy of living, a joy of making. Even though the joy of living is inherently ephemeral and transient, art should be able to capture it in a way that can endure over time, forever. Ultimately, I would like to think that my statues reflect a materialized ecstasy.

For me, it's always a magical moment: the fusion of two elements, earth and fire. I can say that I discover them, these new creatures emerging from the ashes after firing. Firing, for me, is somewhat like cooking. Putting them in the kiln, closely observing how colors are generated through natural chemical processes... These things fascinate me. This is my craftsmanship, and it allows me to live. I consider firing in the kiln to be one of the most vital activities of mankind.

In fact, this very traditional approach to art through craftsmanship is at the heart of my work.

By this, I don't mean that I'm trying to mimic traditional statues or styles considered tribal. Instead, I believe I reinvent 'archetypes' of 'primitive art' - call them totems, if you will.

I shape the material with the method I have developed, drawing upon my memory, a vaguely defined nostalgia, for a continent I left years ago. The very earth of Africa... But my work is not solely African in its inspiration. Upon closer inspection, you'll find elements of ancient Greek (Mycenaean) art, prehistoric Venuses, Eastern art, and more.