ARTISTS’ NOTE
MARA CANTOS

Finding beauty in the ordinary is what excites me every day as I
face life’s routine and challenges. A funny conversation with strangers,
a stray cat who wants a belly rub, an overheard joke, a shadow of a tree
on the floor, fallen dried leaves, a drizzle, a shady sky, and many more.
Simple yet it makes a lot of difference in one’s perspective.

My work is a collection of images of wire cables that were taken in
the places I’m always at. The street I’m always walking on, the places
I am always stuck with traffic, UV terminal with long queues, and many
more. These portions of cable wires were intentionally captured to
create an abstract image composed of various weights or thicknesses
of lines, knots, tangles, and crossing lines. This is to create a whole new
image that will pull the audience out of a logical and ordinary and
place them in a space that is curious, and alive. Making ach piece takes a
while, and the process becomes a sort of meditation and lets me be in the
present moment.

In the chaotic wire cables we see everywhere, I found some beauty in it.
I see ordinary life in this way: there is art everywhere, and you don’t have
to search far in order to find it.