As an eco-conscious artist and artisan, Catia Esteves works with papier-mâché, embracing an environmental preservation approach. She gives a second life to a simple material—paper—by transforming, recycling, and elevating it.
Papier-mâché: A Sculptural Material
Driven by a deep desire to protect the planet for future generations, Catia Esteves chose papier-mâché as her preferred medium. She recovers paper fro
The transformation process, invented by Catia, is slow and lengthy, ultimately giving the material solidity and a sculptural aspect. She gathers strips of paper, grinds them, and kneads them with a mixture known only to her, allowing her to sculpt the paper in three dimensions. From a flat sheet of paper, she creates volumetric installations that interact with space and light. An example is Nuvem (2016) exhibited at MAD Berlin, a sculptural and luminous piece where paper becomes a solid component of the artwork. Paper scraps give form to her luminous sculptures.
Central to her process is how light interacts with the material. The play of shadows and light adds an immaterial dimension to each piece.
Works Integrated into Architectural Spaces
With a background in architecture and urbanism, studied in Lisbon and Brazil, Catia Esteves' work is deeply influenced by her relationship with architecture. She has a special sensitivity to space when designing a piece. Her custom scenographies and installations give life and spirit to the places they inhabit, inviting viewers to become part of the environment.
In Matter of time funded by the Fondation Banque Populaire, Catia creates dialogues between waste transformed into art and the place where the waste was found. These "urban interventions" involve sculptures interacting with urban trash cans, prompting passersby to reflect.
Capturing the Timelessness of the Present Moment:
Catia Esteves aims to freeze a moment in motion, reminding us that our actions today have consequences for tomorrow. She seeks to raise awareness of our behavior, emphasizing that today is our future's past.
This moment of transition is what Catia captures for eternity, as in Gota which portrays a water droplet just about to fall. Similarly, Nuage depicts a cloud in the midst of crossing the sky, on the verge of changing shape, immortalized through her papier-mâché technique.
Catia Esteves beautifully prompts us to reconsider everyday materials, breathing new life into them.
Paris, June 18, 2020
