Nikola “NIXA” Martyna Legierska (She/Her)
Artist statement
Nikola „NIXA” Martyna Legierska is a 21-year-old female artist from Poland currently based in Glasgow.
Her work focuses on exploring the female body, including themes of fertility, pleasure, food, desire, myths of hybrid creatures, and liquids. While her primary creation technique is sculpture, she also uses mixed media as a development tool to investigate different ideas and merge techniques. Through the process of sculpting, she is able to shape her ideas and transform them into encapsulated emotions. The artist is inspired by folk tales and forgotten environments, which she re-discovers and re-imagines through site-specific sculptural installations. By reconstructing the past in the present, she creates a unique experience for her audience, inviting them to explore and engage with her work on a deeper level.
“The Ceasg of Lang Craigs”, 2022
Material: Polyfoam, Polystyrene, Spray/Acrylic Paint, Fabric, Black Steel & Gloss Varnish.
40 × 125cm approx.
Project Links
“The Ceasg of Lang Craigs” 2022
This installation is inspired by the continuous questioning of the autonomous expression of the human body. The metamorphosis taking place within the human core and externally, influenced by its surroundings. The freedom and importance of self-expression. The beauty of individuality. The site-specific artwork is very much influenced by the intricate environmental design of Lang Craigs, nurtured by our ancestors. It is meant to question the artificial and the real, the past and the present and the never-ending limits of our imagination.
“The Borgie Well Fairy Circle”, 2021
The fairy that once protected the now forgotten, Borgie well, responding to the site with a series of sculptures – was located on 29 Vicarland road, Cambuslang G72 8LL
I wanted to bring back the memory of this healing spring of water as it is an important part of Scotland’s ancient heritage and I believe that this magical place should be celebrated today as much as it once was, but most importantly preserved for many years to come as this picturesque gorge with a vibrant history is a beautiful spot worthy of appreciation.
The local rhyme says “a drink of the borgie, a bite of the weed, sets a’ the cam’slang folk wrong in the heid” (weed is the fungi)
Project Links
BA (Hons) Degree Show 2023 – “Mistresses of the Deep”
Prepare to be fully immersed in an otherworldly sculptural installation that surrounds and submerges you. Accompanied by a sensory sound element, this work takes inspiration from the Slavic mythology and folklore surrounding Rusatki – mistresses of the woodlands, impure water spirits that inhabit rivers and lakes who seduce & drown their victims. The installation is designed to transport you to a mystical underwater world, evoking the beauty and mystery of these legendary creatures. By exploring the themes of water, femininity, and mythology, the installation invites visitors to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and the stories that have shaped our cultural imagination to both reinforce and capture human emotion.
