My work is concerned with people, the traces they leave behind, personal interactions and how the body relates to spaces. I am also fascinated by the concept of time, both perceived and objective, and how it affects objects, people and the world around us. Recent works have sought to combine the two areas of exploration to create tactile, interactive and site specific pieces of work. Lately I have moved away from gallery based work, focusing instead on large-scale commissions and site specific works.Currently a large aspect of my practice is collaborative and I enjoy the challenge posed by working with groups and individuals to create new works. I feel that the collaboratively dialogue pushes ideas and creativity to new levels, the outcome often transcending individual efforts, generating unexpected, exciting and at times surprising results. My collaborative work is still very personal to me, but gives me the opportunity to explore new themes and ways of working, often on a grander scale than my individual work.
I form one half of artistic partnership Kondakova & Quille. In 2013 we were commissioned by Edinburgh Napier University to create a substantial permanent public sculpture for their new Fountainbridge Halls of Residence. The sculpture, entitled Tree of Knowledge was installed in January 2014. Napier subsequently commissioned a second sculpture, entitled Imprint, which was installed in June 2014. We are currently working on a large commission for Musselburgh Town tentatively entitled The Archer, due to be installed late 2017.
Artist Sarah Dale and I were recently commissioned by University of Edinburgh to create the centrepiece for the entrance of their new Higgs Centre for Innovation in the form of an optical illusion - a door that is at the same time present and absent. This piece is currently being developed and will be installed in April 2018.
I was awarded a graduate studio at the prestigious Edinburgh Sculpture Workshops (ESW) in 2012, where I have conducted a number of workshops with pupils from local primary schools. I run the group Edinburgh Artists with Kids, providing peer support and organising workshops and events based around involving children in the creation of art.
Education profile2008 - 2012 Edinburgh College of Art, BA (Hons) Sculpture2002 - 2005 University of East London, BA Honours in Visual Theories2005 (January - June) - Exchange at Dar es Salaam University, Tanzania
Site Specific Works and Public Artworks2017 (June-August) Figurative piece The Boy at Caol Ruadh Sculpture Park2016 (October) - present Commissioned by University of Edinburgh to create a sculpture for their new Higgs Centre for innovation in the form of an optical illusion.2015 (November) - present Commissioned by East Lothian Council to create and install life-size bronze sculpture and a sculpture trail in form of steel arrows and accompanying plaques,2015 (January) Public Artwork entitled Imprint for Edinburgh Napier University's Fountainbridge halls of residence.2014 (August) Site specific artwork Placeyersaurus at Cockenzie House. The artwork is in the shape of a life-size bronze Plesiosaurus immersed into the duck pond on the grounds.2014 (January) Public Artwork entitled Tree of Knowledge for Edinburgh Napier University's Fountainbridge halls of residence.2012 (May) Site-specific piece of work entitled Shared Space at the main entrance of Edinburgh College of Art. The piece was in the form of a laser etched glass sheet set into the front door.
Research, Workshops and Community Projects2015 (June) Organised and ran event Child's Play, which included an exhibition on the theme of being an Artist with Kids as well as children's workshops, run in collaboration with artist Steve Dale. 2015 (March - April) Conducted workshops with Victoria Primary School children, learning about sustainability and discussing the potential future of their area. The project was a collaboration with artist Hans Clausen. 2013 (February - present) Exploring mythologies and (mis)conceptions surrounding our relationship with animals. The project involved drawing workshops with pupils from Victoria and Trinity Primary Schools conducted at ESW. 2010 (October) Research trip to Hoy, Orkney with students from ECA and Royal College of Art, Copenhagen culminating in exhibitions of new work at Tent Gallery, Edinburgh and Pier Arts Centre, Stromness. 2009 (July - September) Working with the local community in Uru, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania on a project examining cultural understandings of art and site specificity, working with only locally available materials. The project resulted in the construction of the sculpture Scrap Metal (Banana Tree) and a written artwork. 2005 Created fundraising film (narrated by Steve Cram) for charity Hoja during 3-day research and filming trip to rural Songea region of Tanzania Selected Exhibitions
SSA/VAS Open
Royal Scottish Academy The Mound
Edinburgh
EH2 2EL
29th January - 8th March 2018
Scottish Sculpture Park Biannual Exhibition
Caol Ruadh, Colintraive
2nd June - 10th September 2017
Art Rooms
Cockenzie House
20 Edinburgh Road
Cockenzie
8th August - 28th September 2014
New Works for the City
State Museum of Urban Sculpture
Nevsky Prospect
St Petersburg
1st - 31st July 2013
SLICE
The Whisky Bond
Speirs Wharf
Glasgow
13th, 16th, 17th July 2013
Embassy Member's Show
Embassy Gallery
10b Broughton Street Lane
Edinburgh
26th January - 3rd Febrary 2013
Black Cube Collective Launch
Art's Complex - Gallery 1
151 London Road
Edinburgh
21st September - 4th October 2012
http://www.blackcubecollective.org
Black Cube Collective Launch
The Old Ambulance Depot
77 Brunswick Street
Edinburgh
13th - 16th September 2012
13 Danes
Danish Cultural Institute
Doune Terrace
Edinburgh
8th June - 31st July 2012
Experiment by Ben Cocker and Maja Georg
Tent Gallery
West Port
Edinburgh
26th June - 1st July 2012
Hoy3
Pier Arts Centre
Stromness, Orkney
9th-13th February 2010
Contact
Maja Quille
Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
25 Hawthornvale
Edinburgh EH6 4JT
Email: majaquille@gmail.com