Portrait of a Muse
From a small place in cultural Vienna, enriched with baroque surroundings, the “irregularly shaped” architecture takes on new life in the form of a handcrafted ceramic sculpture. Drawing on the pure simplicity of the feminine materiality and the natural lines and curves of ceramic art, Andrea Maria Kollar, Austrian artist and founder of A.M. Kollar, evokes a full sensory experience through her art that celebrates the sensual and unique nuances of all women regardless of shape, size or color. Where constraint breeds creativity, we speak to the artist daring us to question, via her sense of empowerment and self admiration as “we are all connected, we are all one, and every woman is a goddess in her own way.”
by Andrea Maria Kollar
Finding home in the countryside, modern minimalist — Andrea Maria Kollar — has crafted a burgeoning career celebrating the irrepressible power and authentic beauty of all women. “I always knew I was an artist,” heartens Kollar, “but since there are no other artists in my family, it wasn’t necessarily an easy path. And even as a child I wondered where all the women were in art. Not only in the visual arts, but also in literature, architecture, classical music. Why are most of the artists we know men? No one could ever explain that to me satisfactorily. That is why I decided all the more to become an artist.” First emerging in the fast paced fashion industry, Kollar studied fashion design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna with Raf Simons, but the pull to her artistic side was too strong. “I worked in the fashion industry for ten years before I started my own business in art,” shares Kollar. “I was a fashion buyer in Paris, I worked as a stylist, I organized photo shoots and fashion shows and worked as an art director. It was very exciting, but also very stressful. I was on the road a lot, always where the fashion shows were. You have to be born for this pace that is in fashion. I'm glad that I can now observe fashion a bit more from a distance.”
After working nearly sixty hours a week, the artist found solace and peace in her art, sharing her drawings and oil paintings on Instagram, never considering what possibilities this would spark. “After a few weeks, people wrote to me asking if they could buy my drawings. I will never forget that,” reminisces Kollar. “The first thing I sold was a series of drawings to New York and then it became more and more.” An inspiration for those who crave to take the road less traveled, this daring artist took the risk and quit her job confessing, “it was the only way I could fully concentrate on my art. It was a very difficult time, but I would do it again and again! Ceramics were the next logical step for me. I wanted to develop my design language further and go from the two-dimensional to the three-dimensional. I simply wanted to bring my drawings to life in three dimensions.” In 2019, A.M. Kollar was officially born. “I saw my drawings as sculptures and vases in front of me before I even knew how to make it happen,” laughs the artist. “When it came to technical implementation, I found the ideal partner in the Viennese ceramics maestro, Herman Seiser. In his studio, all my ceramics pieces are created under his supervision. I model all my ceramics from clay first. Then we make a negative out of plaster. On the basis of this negative form is then a plaster positive. On it I can once again work on all the subtleties. Then the final negative molds for the porcelain casting are created. Ceramics is such a beautifully sensual material and the possibilities are endless.”
“I saw my drawings as sculptures and vases in front of me before I even knew how to make it happen.”
Taking note of the resurgence of ceramics in recent years, Kollar recalls the less than warm reaction to her first brush with these shapely sculptures, “my colleagues in the fashion world found it very strange at that time,” admits the artist. “Fortunately, that's completely different now. I think this trend will definitely continue. The connection between human and nature will become even stronger in all areas of art and design. This is a topic that is currently occupying many artists.” Communicating with her collectors via visual elements of soft lines and imperfect forms, this delicate architect elicits an unrestrictive emotional connection of unconditional love and self appreciation that speaks for itself. “I believe my paintings and ceramics help women love themselves. They see my art and see themselves beautiful and loved,” shares Kollar. Drawing inspiration from all the incredibly strong, loving and amazing women in her life — her friends, mother, sister and grandmother — “my ceramics are all named after them. ‘Hermione’, for example, was my grandmother. There is also a sculpture called ‘Grandmother, Mother, Daughter,’ but of course, there are many women from all different backgrounds who inspire me. My vase ‘Sophia’ is named after Sophia Lauren, ‘Mary’ after Mary Jackson, and ‘Marilyn’ after the beautiful Marilyn Monroe,” just to name a few.
“I believe my paintings and ceramics help women love themselves. They see my art and see themselves beautiful and loved.”
Much like developing trends in the fashion world, interior design emerges in parallel with fashion. Art and decor of the home allow us to fully express how we truly view ourselves without judgement. We surround ourselves with pieces and furnishings that make us feel safe, strong, vulnerable and elicit a sense of joy and gratitude when we are near them. Believing that less is more, this minimalist artist, devoid of over designed trends, resides in a small house in the countryside. “I don’t own a lot of furniture and accessories, but the ones I do own, I love, and they are mostly design classics or pieces I brought back from travels,” expresses Kollar. “It has evolved that way over the years. They were pieces I took with me every time I moved because my heart is attached to them. My living room table, for example, had its own seat on the plane because I discovered it in Stockholm and just had to take it with me. Luckily the seat was free anyways,” laughs the artist. Transforming each space of your home into a canvas of individual expression can be a bit arduous to some, but this seasoned craftsman shares with us her take to best express your distinct style. “Always listen to your gut and less to short-lived trends,” Kollar reveals. “You should surround yourself in your home only with things that you like from the bottom of your heart. Even if your own style changes and develops further, you have these things for a lifetime.”
This approach to simplicity as seen in her work, both elegant and modern in its minimalism, is very much a common thread to her daily life. These days you will most likely find the lovely Austrian artist in one of her two studios further developing her skills as ceramic art is ever-evolving. With a passion focused in getting your hands dirty, Kollar is an admirer of the effortless yet purpose-driven styles of Belgian design. “Most of the time I am working with oil paints, plaster, clay, or porcelain, so I wear simple pieces that can get dirty and can be washed often. Not very glamorous,” blushes Kollar. “I prefer to wear overalls, both at work and when I go out. My favorite designer is Dries van Noten.”
As for the future, there are many new ceramic creations in the final stages for A.M. Kollar and in the autumn season, she and her team are planning a large exhibition in Vienna to showcase these exclusive pieces. As her business continues to grow, the team will plant a tree for every product sold and donate 10% of the profits to environmental organizations and non-governmental organizations that support women’s projects. As the porcelain cools and our conversation with Kollar comes to a close, the artist wants to leave you with these words: “What helped me a lot when I took the risk to start my own business with my art, even before I could really make a living out of it, was the sentence: ‘Imagine you were given a life, what would you do with it?’ At the time, I imagined my wise old self looking back on her life at eighty years old, having lived the best life of all. What would that life look like?”
“We are all connected, we are all one, and every woman is a goddess in her own way.”