Embracing The Beauty Of Imperfection With Carla Cascales Alimbau

Whether it be the organic shapes of the rippling water or the sun-kissed palette of the Spanish springtime — the simple forms and colors of nature consistently inform Carla’s contemporary creations. Similarly, architectural forms and furniture design are two further influences on Carla’s work. Across each of Carla’s specialized disciplines, her aesthetic remains cohesive. The graceful line work of nude silhouettes painted on raw cotton is reflected in “I am fascinated by the wabi-sabi movement and their admiration for the imperfect, mutable, and incomplete things.” her sculptural creations. The ‘Brass Nude’ series oozes sensuality and explores the female form through abstraction while ‘Kintsukuroi’ displays decadent details which crack through its sleek circle, portraying the relationship between perfection and imperfection. This design detail has been inspired by the Japanese concept of kintsugi, “It suggests that breakage and repairs are part of the history of an object and it’s shown instead of being hidden,” explains Carla. Her use of irregular and broken materials is a direct reflection of Carla’s love of the Japanese view of beauty, she explains, “I am fascinated by the wabi-sabi movement and their admiration for the imperfect, mutable, and incomplete things. It is so different from the admiration of perfection or the fear of the passing of time we have in western countries.” As such, Carla’s work is full of juxtapositions — contrasting organic forms with geometry, and the imperfections of nature with the purity of the polished materials. The exploration of these relationships has become a symbol of Carla’s aesthetic, which is delicate in its craft and bold in its experimentation.