Laura, Almost 12 (exhibition, 2011)

Maggie Cardelús' effort to communicate, celebrate, and elaborate significant developmental or experiential moments of family life continues with the Laura, Almost 12 exhibition. Cardelús creates a visceral set of works that evoke a human female life cycle from birth (A Mother's birth), through to menstruation (Laura, Almost 12 and Laura in the Flow) to death (Laura's Great Great Grandmother).

The photographic medium is, once again, put to the test in this exhibition with pieces made with dissolved photo emulsion, moulding sourdough combined with photo prints, photos rephotographed over and over again, and photographs cut and layered or sliced into fine strips. The artist also includes ritualistic ceramic pieces to evoke the physicality of body, using clay coil technique to create spiralling umbilical cord vessels and bulging placenta.

Cardelús also asked her son, Zoo, to draw a mural portrait of his sister, Laura. He took his cues from the ceramic vessels, which he transformed into a flowing, vertiginous cacoon that Laura generates herself from her mouth, like an insect.