THE SEARCH

"The Search" serves as an artist's journal, a fervent reverie woven around the sun, seamlessly fusing photography, video art, installations, and paintings.

Over the course of two years, the artist Karina Matheus captured 2000 photographs of the sun and produced videos and paintings for an art project exploring the presence or absence of the sun within the tapestry of everyday British life. This venture holds profound personal significance, as Matheus' origins harken back to sun-drenched locales like Caracas (Venezuela), Miami (USA), and Rome (Italy), a stark contrast to her current existence immersed in the embrace of a timid, tender, and feeble sun, within a society characterized by reserved formality.

At the core of this project lies "Portraits of the Sun," a photographic series meticulously captured during Matheus's daily walks amidst the ever-changing English weather across the seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. These photographs find their homes in ornate vintage frames, each with its own history, which have been sought during months and gathered from places where they had become forgotten, or where they are no longer wanted. Accompanying these portraits are reflective pieces, inviting viewers to glimpse themselves as if caught in the sun's gentle embrace.

Prominent among the works are holographic animations and video art, collaborative endeavors uniting designers and musicians to craft exceptional pieces that embody the essence of #TheSearch for the sun.

Within the collection of paintings, the vivacious strokes and exuberant gestures of the artist endure, showcasing her signature abstract style replete with vibrant colors and textured intricacies—a testament to her artistic evolution. These paintings radiate a profound sense of self-liberation, as they delve endlessly into the quest for the soul's meaning—a relentless pursuit that stands at the heart of Matheus' creative odyssey.

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“The poetry of the night can also be experienced during the day. Not by locking yourself within four walls with closed curtains like a bunker, but by living in a city whose constant cloudy sky makes you accustomed to a stillness, restful and cold overhead. An absence that you had not noticed before: that of the sun.

I was born in a tropical city and lived for a good part in another with an eternal summer. Now, my connection with the sun and the warmth of the tropics has become a dream, a longing, an obsession. And in a metaphorical sense, it is searching for the light as a positive outlook on what changes represent, adapting to a new country and a new lifestyle.

Now, I am trying to capture the sun in photography, video, and paintings to keep it close to me beyond memory.

This is my search.”

Karina Matheus

COLLABORATORS

Pedro Guevara

Music Composer

Pedro Guevara, a London-based musician and industrial/graphic designer, draws inspiration from the vibrant sounds of the 70s, a decade he was not only influenced by but also born into. Immersed in the Caracas Funk Music movement, a genre predominantly crafted by Black artists prior to the 1960s in the United States, Guevara has made his mark.

He has served as the resident DJ and producer for the renowned "Black Magic Sound" (spanning Spain, Venezuela, and the UK) and has contributed his DJ skills to the "Boogie Nights" Collective. Guevara's musical repertoire spans across diverse genres, encompassing Soul Music, R&B, Disco, Jazz, Rare Groove, Boogaloo, and primarily, Funky Music. His DJ sets create an atmosphere that is both profoundly retro and classically selective.

In addition to his DJing talents, Guevara is an accomplished musician with a deep passion for genres such as Rock 'n' Roll, Blues, Reggae, and Latin styles like Salsa. In the UK, he has curated the Cosmic Travelers sessions and recorded as a guest musician at Strongroom Studios.

In his capacity as a designer, he has showcased his work at the Salone Satellite during Design Week in Milan, featuring his project, Orblight Lamps.

@pedroguevara77

https://soundcloud.com/djguevara77

Joel Vaiser

3D Designer

A graphic designer with over 20 years of experience in visual communication, he has cultivated a deep passion for experimental animation, motion graphics, video postproduction, and VFX. He possesses expertise in a wide variety of animation techniques, including 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and motion graphics.

His wellspring of creativity draws inspiration not only from music and art but also from the cosmos and the natural world. He is a fervent collaborator in multidisciplinary art projects and maintains a keen interest in exploring the boundless possibilities of experimental animation, media, and filmmaking. His work is characterized by innovation, challenge, and a penchant for thought-provoking concepts.

@joojxs

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-vaiser-niego-a62aa460/

Lukas Cartea Sönnerstam

Music Composer

Born in the United States and currently based in Sweden, musician Lukas Cartea spent his formative years in Caracas, Venezuela. His musical journey was initially shaped by the classic rock and grunge movements of the 90s. Later, he delved into the captivating worlds of progressive rock, psychedelia, and symphonic music after discovering iconic bands like Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull.

However, Cartea's musical path took a deeply personal turn when he embarked on a conceptual music project called "Man from the Box." This creative venture was born out of his own harrowing experiences. As the social and security situation in Venezuela deteriorated rapidly, he encountered a life-altering incident: he was confronted by a gang armed with five guns, demanding his car. In a climate where people were being killed over trivial possessions as mobile phones, Cartea miraculously survived this ordeal.

It was this near-death encounter that inspired his rock opera masterpiece, "Three Sides of a Tragedy." This poignant story reflects how violence can shatter different facets of a family when it strikes.

@man_from_the_box

https://manfromthebox.com/