Personal Space

Concrete, stainless wire

89 × 90 × 60 cm

2021

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A work from group exhibition ”The Bambi Project“.

”He came into the world in the middle of the thicket, in one of those little, hidden forest glades which seem to be entirely open, but are really screened in on all sides. There was very little room in it, scarcely enough for him and his mother.“ (F. Salten, Bambi: A Life in the Woods, 1928, p. 9)

Eike Eplik’s interest was caught by the special thickets found in Estonian forests that deer have turned into their sleeping areas. They can be recognized by freshly dug ground surrounded by different plant vegetation. Deer beds are small, usually meant to fit only one animal. These hidden places where animals and plants become one united biomass are a necessary shelter, place to feel safe and rest. Using a concrete block and bent wire, Eike recreates a deer bed in order to create a symbolic representation of a very fragile, but necessary personal space.

About the artist

Eike Eplik (born in 1982) is a sculptor and installation artist. She uses nature motifs for constructing a narrative, utilises the gallery space from floor to ceiling, works with sculpting techniques from classic plaster casting to paper and wood assemblage and found objects. The processes in her art are partly subconscious and not always fully explainable. When preparing exhibitions Eplik relies on improvisation – to the extent material allows, of course.

Eike Eplik graduated from the Sculpture Department of Tartu Art College (BA, 2007). During her studies she took on internships with artists in Germany, Sweden and Finland. She continued her studies at the Sculpture department in the Estonian Academy of Arts (MA, 2010). In 2006 she was awarded the Eduard Wiiralt Stipend and in 2012 the young artist production stipend KUKU NUNNU of the contemporary art festival ART IST KUKU NU UT. In 2015 she was nominated for the Sadolin Art Prize and in 2018 Eplik was awarded the Addo Vabbe Stipend. She is one of the recipients of the artist salary 2021–2023. She was awarded with Estonian Cultural Endowment’s annual award (2021).

Look more on CCA artists database and Eike Eplik’s homepage.

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