Work of the Week: Gag by Carissa Baktay

Date: Mar 31, 2022

This artwork combines horse hair and glass to create a form that suggests a pill and something flowing out from it.

The artist was inspired by the connection between the two materials: both fragile and fine, but also strong and functional. Echoing one another aesthetically, this partnership inspired her in new ways of looking at ancient materials.

Through its use of organic and traditional materials, this work hints at the human form, beauty, and the pharmaceutical industry .

About the artist

Carissa Baktay is a sculptor from Calgary, currently working between Canada and Iceland. Working with glass since 2008, Carissa earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Glass from the Alberta University of the Arts (formerly the Alberta College of Art & Design), studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and received her Master in Glass Art and Science from VICARTE Research Unit (Vidro e Cerâmica para as Artes - glass and ceramics for the arts) in Portugal.

She has participated in Snow and Ice sculpting residencies in Norway, was accepted to the 2011/2012 Living Arts Center Fellowship in Glass, and has attended multiple residencies in Iceland, Finland and Norway. Her work has been featured in exhibitions and publications in Canada and internationally.

Carissa was an AFA grant recipient in 2018-19 for the Visual Arts and New Media Individual Project Funding. Also, she was successful in having her artwork acquired through the Art Acquisitions by Application program in 2021 to be part of AFA Art Collection, which will help increase the visibility of her artwork throughout the province, including through Work of the Week.

Art Acquisitions by Application

Did you know that Albertan artists can apply to have their artwork acquired by the AFA through the Art Acquisitions by Application program?

The next deadline is April 1! Review the guidelines if you’re interested in submitting your artwork to have it be considered for acquisition.

Image description

The sculpture is a white rounded spherocylinder capsule shaped like a pill attached to a white wall. Long black hair flows approximately two-thirds down out of the capsule. In the background is the grey shadow of the hair and capsule on the wall. 

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