Monika Mayer: Flow

‘Flow’ represents a cohesive body of work Monika Mayer started during the pandemic when the world seemed upside down. Using different media and techniques such as stitching, stapling, and embroidery, she explores identity, connectedness, and a sense of place. Inspired by nature, Mayer started experimenting with coffee, ink, and stitching on canvas. Over time, the two-dimensional pieces morphed into three-dimensional sculptures constructed from repurposed materials like inner tubes and fused plastic. By using familiar materials in unfamiliar ways, she evokes ambiguity.

Monika Mayer is a mixed media artist who lives and works in Berkeley, CA. She grew up in a rural area of Germany where she was exposed to a rich tradition of textile craft and making from a young age. Drawing inspiration from nature and personal experiences, her multidisciplinary practice is based on experimenting with everyday material, texture, pattern, color, and repetitive mark-making. Working across a broad range of media, including inner tubes, soccer balls, canvas, and paint, she creates abstract two- and three-dimensional work. She often incorporates traditional textile techniques such as knitting or embroidery in unusual ways to give her artwork additional color and life. Her approach is experimental, her creative process intuitive and iterative, often layering techniques to create organic textures and dimensions.

Artists’ Reception: Sunday, February 25, 3 – 5 pm
Oakland Art Murmur / First Friday: March 1, 5 – 9 pm
Artists’ Talk: Saturday, March 16, 3 – 5 pm
Gallery Hours: Friday and Saturday, 12 – 5 pm (and by appointment)

Image: Monika Mayer, Soft Sculpture # 1 (detail), inner tubes, staples, 2023, photo courtesy of the artist