mt2

Monica Trapaga

I am a mixed media artist who chooses materials based on the subject and how it speaks to me. I love using watercolours for smaller ocean-inspired works and acrylics for larger paintings. I can’t resist threading it all together with stitching; it’s in my DNA. My grandmother was an embroiderer who illustrated every garment she made.

My sculptural work revolves around wrapping, wiring, and weaving pre-used textiles and discarded structures into new forms. I’m a collector and curator of objects from previous eras, the natural world, throwout sites, and most of all, the sea and shoreline.

As an environmental artist, I create work that gives new life to discarded objects and reclaims their beauty. These transformed materials may become vessels, baskets, bowls, or simply sculptural forms or mobiles, often embellished with feathers, shells, bones, and other found fragments. Sometimes, these woven forms become models for paintings or wearable pieces, extending their lives once more.

I rarely begin with a formal plan. Painting, weaving, and sculpting are like cooking to me. The ingredients tell me what to make. mt2 is a body of work inspired by our surroundings, from interior to exterior, man-made to natural, but always alive with vibrant colour. We’re like Yin and Yang, two sides of a shared energy. Mez and I both came to painting later in life, as older students at NAS, bringing years of unspent creative momentum with us.

I find Mez’s work brave, inspiring, and most of all authentic. Whenever I see her, it’s an explosion of joy. She makes me laugh and always lifts me up. I was absolutely thrilled when she suggested we collaborate on this show.

Mez Truskett

I first met Monica in my final year at The National Art School in Sydney in 2019. I found her to be a bubbly, energetic and kind women with a touch of vulnerability which drew me to her. I later realised that we had lots in common, not only our initials. This is how Monica came up with the name for our show, MT2 (MT Squared). I asked Monica to sit for me this year for my yearly portrait painting and that’s when we decided to have this show together.

This series is based on a 1950’s interiors theme. I live in a 1950’s character-filled house in Vincentia and these paintings have been inspired by my immediate surroundings. Instead of the figure, I usually add animals into the composition as it tends to breathe life into the painting and assists with the narrative, as animals have always played an important role in my life. I use acrylic paints as they are faster drying and enable me to work over areas straight away. I would say my style is based on the expressionist theme with a touch of naivety. My work is inspired by artists such as Matisse as he was such an amazing colourist and more currently Noel McKenna whose work is so unique and has a touch of humour to it.

I hope that our show ‘screams joy’ for the viewer. This was a statement made by Monica which I think depicts our combined works.