Monika Plioplyte

Mater's Matrix / Northern Illinois Art Museum / Dekalb, IL / 2023

The Mater's Matrix is an installation that explores themes of birth, death, and rebirth, which I envision as an interconnected matrix. Delving into the etymology of "mater" (mother) and "matrix" (womb), I am inspired by those two word's Latin origins, where they signify a space from which new life emerges and develops. Central to the work is a photo collage where I am using my body to interact with the environment, layered with a sculptural form resembling an egg, a womb, or a burial pod, drawing inspiration from natural forms. Opposite this, a shrine-like composition honors the life-giving matrix, featuring a photograph of me in a cave—a nature's womb— symbolically reflecting the imagined space above and below, here and there. Repurposed dried flowers and collaged prints emphasize the cycle of renewal, celebrating the potential for new life to emerge from what is seemingly lost.

*Images by Amy Shelton