Artist draws inspiration from travels and background

Guest lecture artist Sharon Kopriva came by Richardson Performance Hall at Del Mar College’s Heritage Campus on Feb. 17 to introduce a few of her pieces that will be shown at DMC’s 56th annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show. Kopriva is the guest juror for the show.

According to Assistant Professor of Art Benjamin Ogrodnik, Kopriva is a multidiscipline artist whose work is mysterious and timeless. Kopriva’s work consists of sculptures, drawings, and paintings. The Houston-based sculptor and painter portrays her Catholic faith through her artwork.

Kopriva said her piece “Pendent Woman” portrays a new period of light in her Catholic journey.

“This paper mache piece is the first time I started putting my own Catholic background into these paper mache pieces,” Kopriva said.

This new period of art Kopriva came into took her to her next piece named “Joan of Arc.” This piece not only had the look Kopriva wanted but it also had the smell.

“I learned to make her smell the way she should. It’s just a hint that something is burning within,” Kopriva said.

Finding inspiration for Kopriva comes in many different ways, such as traveling across the world to countries like Peru. Kopriva also mentioned that finding what was meaningful to her and what expressed her fears and hopes, made her art a good representation of herself.

Art student Marina Herrera said Kopriva’s approach to art is inspiring.

“I have never seen a lot of contemporary art that takes reference from the Catholicism anymore. That is only seen in the classic pieces. It is nice seeing somebody who makes the same art I want to make,” Herrera said.

Guest lecture artist Sharon Kopriva explains her process and where she receives her inspiration from.

According to Herrera, Kopriva has pieces from churches that she took a lot of inspiration from and hopes to incorporate those pieces into her artwork in the near future.

This year’s National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show includes 49 artists. Kopriva selected 31 two-dimensional pieces and 24 sculptures out of the 387 entries to be in the show. The exhibit, which is free to view, will remain on display in Joseph A. Cain Gallery through May 6.

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