Evgeniya Martirosyan’s new body of work ‘To Ashes’ is a meditation on mortality, impermanence and loss. The artist draws from the symbolism of fire and ash, materials closely associated with death and destruction, but also leading to a new cycle of creation. Used family beds, objects which hold memories of life, dreams and struggles, were set on fire and reduced to debris. Charred and fragmented bed carcasses also allude to war, displacement and the aftermath of a disaster, coincidentally resonating with current events.

The work combines sculptural detritus with moving image, developed from the artist’s continuous experimentation with the material and visual qualities of fire and ash. As the fire gradually reduces the objects to ash, this formless and featureless substance is activated again by the caressing artist’s hand.The tactile gesture creates an emotionally charged atmosphere, inviting the viewer to reflect on the precariousness of life.

‘The sense of fragility is immediate and haunting… Ash now becomes pure memory matter, teeming with its own vibrant ghost life.’
– Max Le Cain

Evgeniya Martirosyan is a Cork-based artist, current member of Cork Artist Collective, National Sculpture Factory and Visual Artist Ireland. She graduated from the Crawford College of Art and Design in 2016, receiving a number of residencies and exhibition awards, including residencies at the National Sculpture Factory, Sample Studios and an exhibition award at Cork Film Centre.

Martirosyan has shown her work both nationally and internationally, has participated in several established residency programs and received multiple bursary awards. Most recent exhibitions include: ‘New Threads’, Crawford Art Gallery, 2021; ‘Focal Point’, Sweden, 2020; ‘Under Your Skin’ solo show, The LAB Gallery , Dublin, 2020; ‘Under Your Skin’ solo show, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, 2019; ‘MUTATIO’, Art Laboratory Pink Grig, Moscow, 2019; ‘Monumental/Temporal’, PRAKSIS, Norway, 2018.

The development of ‘To Ashes’ (2022) has been supported by the Arts Council Project award and the bursary award from Cork City Council Arts Office.