The Eclectic Universe of Mira Makai
This is the second time we at Munchies Art Club Magazine have the pleasure of presenting the fabulous work of Mira Makai.
She was one of the first artists we featured in an Interview, and her evolution since then has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Mira Makai is an artist who creates her pieces intuitively without defining the final result from the outset.
This fact endows her figures with an almost magical quality, turning them into small inanimate beings that paradoxically seem about to perform some action when one observes them
(The Calm Before the Storm at L21 Gallery, Barcelona)
Mira Makai is an artist who invites you to leave the real world behind and step into a vibrant universe of color, texture, and myth.
We Asked Mira Makai a Few Questions About Her Artistic Process, Inspirations, and the Surprising Evolution of Her Work
- Your work often explores the boundaries between reality and fiction, creating a universe where the familiar becomes strange.
How do you navigate the balance between control and spontaneity in your creative process, particularly when working with materials like ceramics that have a life of their own?
Ceramic is a capricious material and often causes surprises, but in most cases, if you have learned to handle it, it can behave predictably.
The recipe is simple yet complicated because you have to deal with the material extensively over the years.
Nonetheless, I always push the boundaries that the material's feasibility allows, and I often create compositions or play with dimensions that go to a kind of extreme value.
This is important to challenge myself in my daily routine.
This is how it turned out that now I work on 80x150cm ceramic wall reliefs and with 150 cm high ceramic sculptures.
- In exhibitions like The Calm Before the Storm and The Cuteness Factor, your art evokes a sense of both joy and combat.
How do these contrasting emotions influence the themes and narratives in your work, and how do you see them evolving in your future projects?
It is easier to express human emotions in the form of animals for me.
I can process bad experiences such as greed, betrayal, and sneakiness more easily during my working process.
I feel that personified animals and fictional creatures will become increasingly extreme.
Heroes will stand out, and villains will become even more evil.
At the same time, I can endow these imaginary creatures with playful colours, which, in large measure, have a great variety of compositions and aesthetic diversity.
- Your practice draws heavily on mythology, rituals, and the rejection of harmful human dominion over nature.
How do you see these themes resonating with contemporary audiences, especially in a world increasingly concerned with environmental and social issues?
I noticed that these associations come quickly from everyone. Even though I don't do concept works as an open protest, the audience can still easily resonate with this attitude.
Mira Makai: Mud Golem (2022), a glazed ceramic sculpture approximately 45x45x80 cm, captures her signature fusion of playfulness and raw materiality. This golem-like figure evokes a rich, mythological narrative while showcasing Makai's fascination with the surreal and the grotesque. The textured surface and vibrant colors bring a whimsical energy to the work, making it a standout piece within her broader exploration of contemporary sculpture. Mud Golem offers viewers a reflection on the tension between the familiar and the fantastical, a recurring theme in Makai's artistic practic
This may stem from the fact that even if we do not always deal with these topics, everyone subconsciously perceives the change and that its vector shows a negative trend.
As an artist, I am primarily influenced by the events and changes taking place in the world, and I use my art to process and communicate this.
- You’ve exhibited in various prestigious venues like L21 in Mallorca and the Ludwig Museum in Budapest.
How have these experiences shaped your artistic journey, and what role do you think these collaborations play in the evolution of your work?
I was pleased to be invited by the museum and to have my works given such a central place in the exhibition.
The Ludwig Museum has “The Idol of Greed” painting in their collection, and I am very grateful for this.
In my opinion, young artists are doing very current things worldwide now, with critical comments, and it's always good if an institution is open to these voices.
It is always motivating to set up in such large spaces, and I can think of new dimensions regarding the size of paintings and sculptures.
I have had many exhibitions with L21 Gallery, and I am very grateful to them for allowing me such a large platform to present my work.
Because of them, my work has been able to go to great exhibition places and fairs that are held in, for example, Miami, Ibiza, Barcelona, and Madrid.
- You describe your creative process as a game with materials and free associations, often leading to surprising results.
Can you share a specific instance where the outcome of this ‘game’ surprised you, and how it influenced your approach to your art?
Opening the kiln is always the most interesting and exciting moment for me.
The applied glaze appears in pastel shades during use, so you can expect a huge surprise just from the point of view of colour burnout.
Mira Maikai - L21 Gallery Mallorca - Cermic Works Photo: Juan David Cortes
The quality of the final form of a sculpture is always different from the initial object. After the final firing, it will be complete.
The fact that I see it as a game often helps me accept my mistakes. When something doesn't go well, I let it go more easily and can run to it again.
For example, I designed vases with forest spirits on their heads, but I was not satisfied with the vase's appearance.
Because of this, I put the spirits on top of each other. I had a meringue-like upper part in the studio, which was too small for a previous sculpture, but it became the perfect last piece of this newly formed composition.
Mira Makai: Treasure Hunter (2022), a 40x40x90 cm glazed ceramic sculpture, captures her dynamic approach to storytelling through bold forms and vibrant textures. This towering piece blends playful and surreal elements, showcasing Makai's mastery in ceramics and her unique narrative-driven style
Thanks to this coincidence, this work has become one of my favourites of the sculptures I made this year.
- With your upcoming solo show at Einspach Fine Art and Photo in Budapest, what new ideas or themes are you excited to explore?
How do you see this exhibition marking a new chapter in your artistic career?
My work lately has focused on producing works combining textiles and ceramics.
I really like experimenting with different material qualities, and in addition to this, wall works with ceramic reliefs and monochrome colour experiments will come to the fore at that exhibition.
Depending on the conditions of the gallery space, I plan two or three large wall compositions. I have never made reliefs of this size before.
I'm eagerly waiting to see what the audience's reactions will be.
Thank you, to answer our questions. It was a pleasure.
Mira Makai: We dive deeper in her work, about upcoming projects and philosophical reflections.
Makai’s work transforms the mundane into the magical, blurring the line between reality and fiction.
Her creatures, neither entirely real nor imagined, evoke a philosophical exploration of how art transcends limitations and challenges possibilities.
Her works, which de-centre the human being from the core of representational art, may seem at first sight apolitical. In spite of this, one often finds nihilistic gestures of exclusion or denial behind extremes of detachedness.(Combat & Joy written by Ákos Ezer)
A key theme in Makai's art is the rejection of harmful human dominion over nature.
Mira Makai: Midnight Snack (2022), a glazed ceramic sculpture approximately 40x40x50 cm, playfully explores the relationship between consumption and imagination. This vibrant piece, with its layered textures and fantastical forms, embodies Makai's signature approach of merging whimsy with critical undertones. The work's intricate details invite viewers to immerse themselves in the tactile world Makai constructs, where everyday objects are transformed into narratives that balance humor and contemplation. Her skillful use of ceramics highlights her deep engagement with materiality and abstraction in contemporary art. | Photo: Image Courtesy by the Artist
Nature is not just a backdrop, but a character rich with life and fragility.
Her ceramics reflect this tension between joy and vulnerability, pushing the boundaries of the medium with controlled yet spontaneous creations shaped by simple tools like a butter knife.
The firing and glazing process introduces unpredictability, making each piece a unique experiment in form and color.
Her exhibitions, such as The Calm Before the Storm at L21 Gallery in Barcelona, Inseln des Glücks at Collegium Hungaricum Berlin, and The Cuteness Factor at the Ludwig Museum in Budapest, offer immersive environments where her artworks interact with space, creating otherworldly experiences.
L21 GalleryMakai’s collaboration with L21 Gallery in Mallorca has been pivotal, with shows like Sugar Rush and Chambers of Melting Sweets blending playful elements with social commentary, establishing her as a distinctive voice in contemporary art.
Her upcoming solo exhibition at Einspach Fine Art and Photo in Budapest in early 2025, her first in the city since 2018, will showcase new work exploring themes of nature, mythology, and the balance between control and spontaneity.
This evolving body of work promises fresh innovations that will captivate her audience.
Mira Makai (Installation view) Inseln des Glücks (Islands of Happiness) exhibition, was held at the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin from June 25 to August 19, 2023, brought together six distinctive artists, including Mira Dalma Makai. This group show, curated by Vitus Weh as part of the Best of Esterhazy Art Award, explored the theme of isolation and artistic creativity. The concept of being an "island" during the pandemic—separated yet productive—resonated with the exhibition's exploration of personal and societal withdrawal as a form of potential growth or "happiness." Photo: Zoltán Kerekes
Ultimately, Makai’s art transports viewers to a vibrant world where reality and fiction merge, encouraging exploration and discovery.
Her work is a celebration of the boundless possibilities of art and the joy of creative freedom.
Follow Mira Makai on Instagram, discover more artwork and current and upcoming Projects.
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