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How would you describe the essence of your artistic work?
The essence of my work has been exploring the blend of different materials through the use of weaving techniques to create decorative tapestries. I’m deeply drawn to discovering how various textures can speak to one another and form harmonious pieces that bring not only comfort, but also a sense of beauty to the spaces they inhabit.
What have been your main inspirations over the course of your career?
My biggest inspirations are the spaces we live in and move through, and observing how a single piece can shift the story and the comfort of those environments. Whenever I come across a new space, a project, or an artist working within that context, I always find inspiration in noticing how the room affects me through the pieces within it and the way it has been shaped. I studied engineering, and my background is very rooted in the exact sciences, a theme that’s constantly present in the way I work. From the process of selecting materials and planning each piece, to my use of geometry and clean, linear forms in my designs, coherence and structure are a strong foundation of my work. I want the pieces I create to always feel aligned with, and seamlessly integrated into, the spaces they will belong to.
What is your creative process like, from the initial idea to the final work?
My creative process varies quite a lot depending on the piece and the project at hand. A bespoke commission inspired by an existing work of mine follows one path; preparing for an exhibition follows another; and a piece with new requirements for an entirely different project takes yet another. But there’s a common thread in all of them: the materials. And that’s almost always where my process begins.
I rarely search for materials for a specific piece or project; instead, I’m constantly collecting materials in my studio. When a new project or the opportunity to create a new piece comes along, I pull everything out of the boxes and begin the creative process from there. Once the core materials are chosen and aligned with the story of the project, the design emerges naturally, sometimes on paper, other times directly on the loom, evolving as the piece takes shape.
What themes or messages do you aim to convey through your art?
Beauty, comfort, and exclusivity. The feeling of being unique within our homes and the spaces we inhabit. I’ve come to realise that humans have a deep need to contemplate beauty and to live surrounded by things they find visually pleasing and it’s not a minor need. With every piece I create, I want to offer that feeling and that emotion.
Love Mariana’s Ralo work?
Imagine having a bespoke Mariana’s artwork created specifically for you and your interiors with the guidance of Casa Alta Design.
We will explore your vision in detail, develop a tailored moodboard, and curate a colour palette that reflects your inspirations, interior style and personal visual identity. This creative foundation will guide the development of a unique, site-specific artwork made exclusively for your space.
@marianaralotapestries
🌐 mr@marianaralo.com
