Santa GAÏA Pilens in the #jungbleiben Portrait

🔊 ARTIKEL VORLESEN

Santa GAÏA Pilens is an artist whose work bridges the ancient and the contemporary, deeply rooted in nature, transformation, and spirituality. Her textile murals and contemporary mummies are infused with symbolism, reflecting the raw energy of the earth and the human experience.

How would you describe yourself in 5 words?

‘’All the women in me’’ is the most precise description of me as there are so many roles I am jumping in and out of every day. But if you want to split it up, it would be: Love, Art, Transformation, Solitude and Nature.

What inspired you to become an artist?

Art isn’t something you become—it’s in your DNA. It’s a frequency you’re born tuned into. The path? Well, yes – that is a choice. But for me, there was no Plan B at the end. It’s all-in.

I grew up in an artist’s atelier, surrounded by the aroma of oil paint, oversized canvases, clay figurines, wood cuts. Art books stacked high. Creativity wasn’t just around me; it was the language spoken. In my 20s, I detoured, picked up different experiences, built a new perspective. But I came back—because purpose calls you louder than anything else.

At one point, I sold my whole wardrobe just to buy art supplies. Every euro reinvested in my vision. No safety net. No fallback. Just full commitment to the work.

 

Was there a particular moment in nature that inspired your designs?

I spent a year moving through Greece—mainland, islands, nature. Remote spaces. No agenda, no expectations. Just eyes open, taking it all in. The sea, the wind, the silence. The weight of history in the air. People, textures, light shifts. Documenting everything.

And then, it all surfaced—translated into textile murals. You see it there: prehistoric marks, earth tones, rock formations, sand, the way the sun fades out. It’s a fusion—human memory woven into nature, the subconscious speaking through fabric.

What role does transformation play in your creative process?

Transformation isn’t just a theme in my work—it’s the core of how I create. It’s the mindset, the method, the movement. The first time it really struck me was ‘’standing’’ in front of the ancient Greek gravestone Girl with Doves. Something shifted. A moment of impact—both personal and artistic.

That obsession with transformation runs through my textile work, through a technique I call Contemporary Mummies. The name speaks to both the aesthetic and the deeper concept. Just like the Egyptians preserved bodies through mummification, I preserve and reimagine objects.

I start with aging cotton canvas, let it turn into that signature mummy-brown, then press it over objects. The form stays, but stripped down—reduced to a pictogram, a symbol. The physical transformation mirrors the conceptual one. The object disappears, but its essence sharpens, distilling into something more abstract, more universal.

That process—stripping away to reveal something deeper—is the foundation of my work. It’s how I translate memory, history, and meaning into a new visual language.

 

How does the earth goddess Gaia reflect in your art?

My creative process is wired into nature. It’s all connected—macro to micro. The Tree of Life as a blueprint. Humans, animals, the elements—same cosmic frequency, same energy flow. No separation.

How do you develop your designs in terms of the balance between form and function?

I’m fully aligned with Kandinsky on this. Art isn’t about replicating what’s outside—it’s a vessel for what’s within. A way to translate inner states, emotions, frequencies. Expression over representation. Function? That comes second. The real work happens beneath the surface. But when I’ll approach architecture or design objects, furniture one day – function will be my starting point.

 

How does the connection between spirituality and art influence your design decisions?

I move like a symbolist. Research is my foundation—I go deep. Cultural, historical, mythological, philosophical, spiritual layers. I absorb it all. Then, I let it go. Switch it off. Let intuition take over.

What emerges in my textile bas-reliefs isn’t just the subject—it’s the essence. A distilled, reimagined form. My own language, built through transformation.

Which elements of the earth or nature have the strongest impact on the aesthetics of your work?

Someone once said, “Your work feels like if Matisse had painted cave walls.” Matisse isn’t my reference, but I get it. There’s that prehistoric, raw energy—cave patina, time embedded in the surface.

When I travel for inspiration, I document obsessively. But it’s not just about seeing—it’s about touch. Hands on stone, sand slipping through fingers. I move found objects, play with them, bring them back to the studio. Surround myself with fragments of the world. Let them speak.

And then, there’s light. Light is everything. It’s what gives my work breath. It’s the balance between presence and absence—light and shadow shaping the form. That’s why I’m drawn to sunrise, sunset. That shifting glow adds drama, depth, layering. It transforms everything.

 

What does #sustainableyouth mean to you?

It’s about the future—full stop. Every small move now stacks up, shaping what’s next. The impact isn’t abstract, it’s real.

I’m all in on reusable materials. It’s not just sustainability—it’s mindset. Less waste, less excess, more intention. It’s about leaving something meaningful behind, not just more trash.

Still, mild, or sparkling?

Sparkling, always.