Maria Bartuszová, Exhibition, Tate Modern, London: 20 September 2022-16 April 2023

Bartuszová came from Prague’s artistic community and graduated from the city’s Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in 1961. Whilst Bartuszová used a variety of materials and styles, you’ll see that she was especially interested in using white plaster to reflect human emotions and the natural world.

This exhibition starts in the 1960s when Bartuszová realised, whilst playing with her daughter, that she could create incredibly smooth round shapes by pouring plaster into a balloon. You’ll see that she used this method often, creating sculptures in the shape of a rain-drop or seed. Bartuszová reflected the human body in her work as well, and you’ll notice that many of her sculptures have maternal and sexual meanings. During the 1980s, Bartuszová photographed many of her sculptures outdoors to show their connection to nature, and the exhibitions ends with a selection of these images as well some of her drawings.