Mira Varg is a multidisciplinary artist from Slovakia who has been living in London for 6 years now. A Central Saint Martins graduate, we met Mira in her east London studio where she introduced us to her art and opened up about what does it mean for her to be an artist.
If someone had asked you what do you do, what would be your reply?
I work on such a wide range of projects that it is challenging to feel comfortable putting myself in one box. My personal work revolves around creating abstract and surreal images, sculptures and installations, through experimental techniques and methods.
My commissioned projects range from art and science ones, photography, record cover designs to working as an designer on various music related projects. Since completing my masters degree in Art and Science at Central Saint Martins last year I have started to focus my energy on developing Mira Varg studio. My main aim is to become a true craftsman within every medium and to be able to create everything that my mind feels like giving birth to.
How would you describe your art and what is it that you try to communicate with it?
With my art, I am challenging viewers perfections and understanding of their normal reality. Through combining objects and symbols, of which the outside world would not think to link, I create my alternative universe.
I think one of the important roles of an artist is to create art which can help people escape the burden of everyday reality and make them experience feelings which are hidden deep inside their souls. As the German composer Robert Schumann said: “To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist.”
What relationship do you have with London, specifically east London where you live.
I really like the part of London I am living in. I live in a warehouse community, converted from industrial use to a creative hub for musicians and artists, it is a perfect place to for me as I have a studio for my work, as well as a communal dark room. I could not imagine moving to any other part of London.
You also work in one of east London's iconic record stores - what role does music play in your life
Music always played important part of my life. Maybe it all started when my grand father gave me piano when I was six, then I attended music lessons and my passion for music grown everyday.
Since I came to London I started to collect Acid House records, but you would be able to find even Miles Davis or Pink Floyd in my collection. I can listen from avant-garde Japanese jazz to heavy metal, everything depends on my mood. People can often find me listening to old Slovak punk in my studio while I work. I do not know what it is about this music that makes me so productive hah.)
When we met during our photoshoot in your studio, you seemed very relaxed in front of the camera and your playfulness with your surroundings and yourself made the entire shoot so much more fun. Is not taking yourself too seriously also reflected in your art, or would you say its more dark and melancholic?
I would never consider my art as dark or melancholic, I would consider it exactly the opposite. For me the most important part is to play, to joke around and to never be scared to experiment. I think people who don’t know me might find my work dark and melancholic because of the art techniques I choose to use. I use to by obsessed with experimental darkroom print techniques and used to spend hours and hours alone in dark just with red light.
Could you please describe us your most important piece of work so far (in your eyes) , and why is it so important to you
I think the most important piece is my ongoing project Foetus Techno, on which I stared to work at the end of my Central Saint Martins studies. It is an installation project showing people the relationship between rave parties and the embryonic womb state.
Being a big fan of electronic music, particularly techno music and rave parties, I have always often questioned what it was about rave music that we love so much. I feel there are countless people around the world with these feelings and through this project I aim to highlight the connections and show them to the world.
Mira is wearing The Green, The Blue and The White designs from our SHAPES Collection.
Follow Mira on Instagram or visit her website