Garden notes. Kachreti.



The residency project is closely related to my interest in exploring and delving into naturalforms, getting acquainted with walnuts, tree leaves, jujube berries, half-ripe olive dye andvarious seeds found in the extensive garden of the residency. I am interested in the reason whysome of the fruits is cracked, green, red or brown. What conditions have they grown and beencared for in, involving both literal care for plants and ecosystems and metaphorical and symbolicmeanings of caring for someone with compassion, understanding and empathy.

I focus on the study of forms and textures, but it would be equally interesting to delve into thetraditions of plant care and ritual practices, healing, where plants are used. Seeds for me meannew beginnings, hidden knowledge and an incredible power to grow.

These found garden artefacts depicted in drawings remind me of a connection either to my ownbody, to the stories of people I have met or just to childishly long observations of how the roundshape of a fruit is formed.

For example, one morning I saw two pomegranates on my desk that reminded me of two breasts, Drawing them I remembered my friend telling me about her nipples that were sore from feedingher newborn baby. The pomegranate was red and cracked, and round.



Authobiography



Liene Mackus a Latvian- based artist. Studied sculpture in Art Academy of Latvia (MA) and Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo, Italy. From 2009 the artist has participated in exhibitions in Latvia and Europe.

Mackus is kown for her work in sculpture, installation art, and plasticine animation, which she refers to as moving sculpture. Her art often delves into social themes, but she approaches these subjects with a sense of detachment and a profound, unconditional love

She is also the nominee for the Purvītis Prize and author of an extraordinary environmental art object in Riga – a bench called Riga's Lion (2015) and playground Labirinth (2017)

Most recent art projects have focused on nature, both landscape in the broadest sense and theexploration of near-objects from a sculptor's point of view. This theme is and will become a more frequent object of research in art because of the heightened ecological awareness, thepremonitions of ecological catastrophe also in Mackus mind.