Cate Wind was born in Durban, South Africa and lives and works in Berlin and New York. After completing her apprenticeship as a glass and porcelain painter, she studied visual communication and founded the design agency WINCreating Images. Her work combines the creative worlds of art and design.
How did you get into art?
Born in Durban, South Africa, from a very early age, I developed a special connection to art and creativity. All kinds of colors and materials became my tools to connect with the surroundings and its culture. After moving to Germany and completing my apprenticeship as a glass and porcelain painter at Glasfachschule Rheinbach, where I learned, amongst other things, to break my own boundaries in glass design, I went on to study visual communication. To explore art more intensively and profoundly, but also to form my artistic signature, I attended several internationally renowned summer art schools. This in conjunction with my own creative advertising agency has hugely informed my personal creative path. In the last few years I have had a re-shift and now focus a lot of my creative energy on my art.
How would you describe your style? What makes your work special?
I have an interest in quantum physics and metaphysics. I explore this through the combination of many materials, tools, and methods. Working between sculpture, installation, and painting I like to play with the translation of the intangible i.e., emotion and energy into physical form. For example this is done by using materials as representations of emotions. With artworks such as ‘Dense Movement 1-5’ 2023 black glass is used as a metaphor for the complexity of life. It can be dense and hard, but it is ever flowing and in constant motion. Through my practice I want to facilitate an understanding of the energy that surrounds us in life and how we can better connect to it. I also modify existing tools or create new ones to develop my ideas further such as 3D printing an ink dispenser in to produce my series ‘Traces’ 2022 in New York. Combining new and old methods within my practice I am guided by the materials, often trusting the further development of my work through the media processes.
How do you go about developing your work?
Following an intuitive approach to art making I like to mirror the natural paths present in life. Most of the process starts with being drawn to a material or tool then developing concepts and a path as the work is created. Connecting with ideas of the intangible i.e. emotion and energy into physical form I like to use new technologies like mineral based paints that involve copying the dynamic resonances taken from nature and permanently embedding them in neutral substances including minerals. The aim with tools such as this is to bring the viewer to an altered state of calm, using essences of nature to ground the viewer. The materiality and the effect it has in combination with other materials is always the starting point for all my conceptual development.
Who or what influences you?
The natural world is a constant source of inspiration to my practice. I explore and celebrate the essence of natural movement and energy. For me everything is energy – frequency, vibration, resonance, and connection. This is what I want to capture in my life and creative work. The nature of combining different – often opposing – materials such as oil, metal, glass, synthetics, wood etc. is referential for my ideas to develop. I am drawn to opposition and tension between materials. Keeping connected with current exhibitions in Berlin and other cities also inspires my practice and ideas. It is important to see and connect with other creative sources and to support the creative scene.
Make us curious. What is planned next?
We are currently working on my solo show opening in September. This will be in conjunction with Berlin Art Week, opening on 15th September. Please feel free to come! The show is based around my Tracing series developed and first in New York as part of my show ‘Traces of the Invisible‘ 2022. By tracing uneven surfaces such as walls and sidewalks, I am unearthing energy narratives within an urban environment. I wants to set an example of a cityscape that retains its humanity and connection to the earth, no matter how far it seems.
Alongside my creative practice I am also the founder of STUDIO20. This is a newly founded project space working from my studio in Berlin. STUDIO20 showcases the work of other emerging and established artists in the form of curated temporary exhibitions and events as well as my own work. This will be the location of my solo show.
We have a program of events throughout the year that is going to be really exciting. We also welcome proposals from other creatives, or anyone looking to connect and create some events from STUDIO20, please get in touch!