Šejla Kamerić: CONFIDENCE POWER PLUS

Galerie Tanja Wagner is pleased to present new works by Šejla Kamerić.

CONFIDENCE POWER PLUS — Šejla Kamerić uses a wearable series of silk scarves entitled Maze (Labyrinth) to examine the dynamics of work and wealth.

A brightly printed scarf in the finest flowing silk — it is a traditional signifier of luxury. A symbol of elegance and affluence, at once wearable and collectable, for some, the foulard has become shorthand for the moneyed set. Each one is a statement piece, providing a splash of color while remaining in so-called good taste. But like any consumer good, there are hidden hands behind its existence.

Šejla Kamerić’s Maze plays with that reality, and reveals the unseen worker. The acclaimed Bosnian artist has long worked with textiles as a means of social commentary, and to explore issues of displacement and identity. The weight of her themes stands in powerful contrast to her individual aesthetics and choice of delicate materials. Now, for the first time she creates wearable art — unique prints in the form of vivid silk patterned scarves.

“The patterns are made as a maze, but a maze that can be navigated and its path shared as an understanding of the ‘bigger picture,’” explains Kamerić. “Working class is the base. Art should not be just an escape; it should function as a corrective.”