ARS 28

Skuja Braden is a pseudonym and combined surnames of the international collaborative duo Ingūna Skuja (1965, Aizkraukle, Latvia) and Melissa D. Braden (1968, California, USA), who have worked for over 20 years collectively and primarily with porcelain.

Skuja Braden represents an „absence of presence“ of an individual author, where these two artists have combined forces, creating a fictive and alternate proxy identity. Collaboration is  the non-hierarchical and inclusive framework Skuja Braden use as a method, strategy and philosophy, to explore alternative relations to power through a fusion of disparate identities, inclinations and perceptions. Their works are conceptually based and almost always expressed as synthesis of painting and sculpture. They work shoulder to shoulder, influencing, modifying and supplementing each other’s work, from sketching the ideas to the final touches in paint and glazing in material.

 Skuja Braden takes the position of a militant critic or loving supporter, never standing aside or remaining neutral they aim to boldly blend decorative, literary and political elements in to a seamless statement, while utilizing a material that has historically been associated whit absolute refinement.

Artists have created works for over 40 solos and have been includes in over 140 group exhibitions; their works are held in public and private collections throughout the world including The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (Riga, Latvia). 2022, Skuja Braden would represent Latvia in La Biennale di Venezia (Venice, Italy).

Skuja Braden works can be found in private collections and museums in Australia, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, and throughout the United States and UK.