Tessa Rose Vardy

Tessa likes Barcelona, where she lives while studying mathematics and programming, because of its resemblance to her hometown of Port Elizabeth.

In her home we found photos of her friends and family in South Africa. We got to know her through Instagram, a platform on which she exhibits her work: virtual still lifes in 3D. She makes them in her spare time and tells us that she wants to start materialising them with ceramics. Find out more about her work on Instagram and on her website.

Q - What made you start experimenting with 3D?

A - I first started experimenting with photography and through it I realised that I was much more interested in objects than people. I started to feel really inspired by objects in certain spaces. Anny Wang's work had a big influence on me. After seeing her work I wrote a message to one of her collaborators (Tim Söderström) to find out what was the best programme to start with. Playing around I realised that I could experiment with sculpture using 3D and that I could create anything with any textures I wanted (glass, marble, wood, etc.). This opened up a whole world for me, as the possibilities were endless. As I progressed, I began to enjoy the idea of creating any kind of form and started to move away from conventional forms, attracted to abstract forms.

Q - Who are your favourite creative references?

R - Anny Wang, Claudia Mate, Eva and Franco Mattes, Francesca Woodman, Peter Fischli and Ezequiel Pini.

Q - Where would you like your career to go and what projects do you have in mind?

A - What I really want is to apply my 3D to interior spaces or scenic design. I feel I am able to materialise any scene that crosses my mind; it's a great feeling. I would like to bring to life the things that inspire me, such as 80s furniture or classic Spanish ceramics. I have started working with Giorgia Righetti, a local artist who sells furniture in her own shop in Poble Nou (Leseines). We plan to make an exhibition together with her furniture and my 3D interpretations of the things she sells. We thought it could be interesting, as we have a similar aesthetic. I'm interested in doing exhibitions that encompass more than one medium, not just photography or 3D. I find it interesting to merge both worlds, so I wanted to work with furniture as well.

Q - Who would you most like to work with?

A - I would like to work with photographers, ceramists, designers and artists interested in the same things I am. For example, I would like to collaborate with ceramists because I have a lot of ceramics in my work; turn something of theirs into 3D or think of possible ceramic pieces to make in 3D.

Q - Can you recommend a book?

A - John Berger's Ways of Seeing.

Q - What about a restaurant?

A - Betty Fords, in the Raval district of Barcelona.

Q - A film?

A - The Daisies, a 1966 Czechoslovak comedy drama directed by Věra Chytilová.

Q - A place?

A - Bakoven Beach in Cape Town.

Q - On what occasions would you wear the clothes you are wearing in your photos?

A - It's a very versatile piece of clothing. I could wear it on a Friday night, to dinner with a friend, or as a casual daytime outfit.