Zuzana Šujanová
Erika Gregušová makes tapestries, artprotis (an unwoven type of tapestry), woven carpets and designs decorative fabrics and dining cloths. During recent years, she has redirected her artistic endeavours to hand-made paper she makes from waste materials. The artist transforms newspapers, paper and cardboards into unique utility and interior objects. Her jars, glasses, vases, jewellery boxes and chests of various sizes, bowls and lightings are of specific shapes and she employs unique processing of material and uses moderate colours.
Erika Gregušová invented paper recycling and started to use it for creative purposes ages ago. As a young artist, she used to make illustrations for children books. She tore up Indian ink-painted pieces of paper and made unusual collages from them. She used waste paper and newspapers to make art objects for the first time seventeen years ago. „I started experimenting with materials and shapes and I developed liking for it. Adding new and unusual elements makes material different. Later, I added coffee, red beet or teas into mass which changed colours of a material without any artificial dyes. I like moderate colours, so I dye using natural dyes.“
She made small and simple objects, now she makes larger and more complicated ones. Finding new surface appearances, the artist used to experiment with shapes and surfaces. Dimensions of the largest chests are 70 × 80 centimetres. They are firm enough to be used for sitting, too. They resist water for limited time. Various shapes allow various uses.