The Baroness, 2022

Zora Mann, The Baroness, 2022; Ceramic, flip-flop beads, wood, paint, steel; Body: 191 × 48 × 41 cm

The wood and ceramic sculptures presented in Zora Mann’s exhibition Nectar Hive are built from various elements found in the human body, plant life, nature and architecture. Suspended in air, their strung parts represent the physical and cerebral manifestations of emotions, together forming the complex synthesis of traits that constitute personalities.

Viewed individually, each work presents the intricacies of humanity and personhood. The anthropomorphic heads and bodies, reminiscent of mitochondria and other cellular components, can be read as the various factors that influence emotions and habitual behaviors. Often bearing titles that represent archetypes, such as Penny Pincher, Baroness, and Paper Pusher, or the names of a personal acquaintance or an imagined self such as Ulrich and Clara, these sculptures embody recognizable tendencies, characters and auras that can be found all around us.

Baroness (2022) embodies the haughty demeanor of its title, a regal figure whose sides are flanked by pairs of red lips at the ends of beaded threads, shaped like dangling jewelry.