Joya: AiR / Marta Abbott / USA

“As soon as I arrived at Joya: AiR I knew I had found my way to someplace very special. I found myself surrounded by sweeping views of landscapes that are as rich in history as they are beautiful, and welcomed by hosts who had interwoven their own story into that of the land’s in a way that honors all that came before, but also makes way for the new.

My original plan was to work on a personal project but changing deadlines shifted my focus to a different, already developing body of work in which I wanted to explore the antique photographic process of cyanotypes, finding a way to combine it with my practice of making work using colors that I extract from organic materials and make into ink. In my mind, both processes begin with light, with the transforming of light into something else, something more tangible and which remains. The photo studio at Joya and the bright, Andalusian sun that was so generous with its beams proved to be the perfect place to conduct experiments and explore materials and methods in new ways. I was able to make my inks from the things that grow on Joya’s grounds in between sessions in the darkroom, and I soon fell into a very happy rhythm of working that helped me find exactly where I needed to go. The fellow residents I shared my time at Joya with are all people I feel very lucky to now know. Their work and creative missions were often kindred to mine in inspiring ways, and one of the best parts of each day were the sincere and engaged exchanges we got to have about life and work.

Joya: AiR creates the rare set of conditions which harmoniously allow for both rest and creation. Being there allowed me to focus, to immerse myself in my work, and to catch my breath. I left feeling incredibly grateful for my time there and with a greater sense of awareness and appreciation for the natural resources we so often take for granted. I also feel a great deal of gratitude towards Simon and Donna, who understand the meaning of hospitality so well, and who provide support to those working in the arts through what is clearly a true labor of love. I’m smiling as I write this now during the plane ride home while thinking back on the beautiful time I had, and know I will carry my experience at Joya with me for a long time to come”.

Marta Abbott

Born in Amsterdam, 1983, Marta grew up between the U.S., Prague, and Amsterdam. Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts with a minor in English Literature from Salve Regina University, Rhode Island, second degree in Art Restoration with a focus on paintings and frescoes, completed in Florence, Italy.

Selected Shows since 2020:
September - October 2022, La Caduta, Premio Cramum, Mercato Centrale Milan October 2022, Little Windows, Praise Shadows Gallery, Boston, Mass
October 2022, Visionary Projects Show, online gallery
October 2022, Floweries, Vuotopieno, Rome
December 2021 - Pietra viva, Divario Gallery, Rome, Italy
October 2021 - Open House Rome, Rome, Italy
October 2021 - Rome Art Week, Dylan Tripp Studio, Rome, Italy
September 2021 - Many Solo Shows, group show, Numeroventi, Florence, Italy
July 2021 - Linguaggi contemporanei della stampa d’arte at Fondazione Il Bisonte, Florence, Italy July 2021
May 2021 - Liminal Forms, Collaborative works with Nicolas Denino, Cappella Marchi, Seravezza, Italy December 2020 - December 2020 - Particolare di Paesaaggio, group show, Contmeporary Cluster, Rome, Italy.
October 2020 - Natural Landscapes, Rome Art Week, Marigold, Rome, Italy.
October 2020 - Stargazers, Cimitero Acattolico di Roma, Rome, Italy.
October 2020 - Edit Napoli Design Fair, with Naessi Studio, Time, Framed, Naples, Italy

Publications - Featured in Make Ink by Jason Logan, Abrams Press, 2018, and most recently in The Floristry, Hong Kong, Pre-Spring 2023 issue.

Films - Featured in feature-length documentary The Colour of Ink, National Film Board of Canada, 2022

Awards - Second place 2022 Premio Cramum art prize for best artist in Italy under 40.

Simon Beckmann30 July 2023