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Roma Babuniak
Roma Babuniak.jpg
Born (1952-03-25)25 March 1952
England
Nationality British
Education
Known for China and porcelain designs

Roma Babuniak (born in England on March 25, 1952) is a talented artist. She is famous for her work with special types of ceramics called bone china and unglazed biscuit porcelain. Roma lives and works in both Germany and France. She has won many important awards for her art. For example, in 1986, she received an Honorable Mention at the 1st International Ceramics Contest in Mino, Japan. She also won the Premio Diputacio da Valencia in Spain in 1999.

About Roma Babuniak's Life

Roma Babuniak started her art journey by studying at the University of Salford from 1971 to 1973. After that, she went to Sheffield Hallam University from 1973 to 1976. There, she earned a special degree in fine art and sculpture. She also studied film and photography.

Vessel 1988 Porcelain, 53cm Private Collection London, UK
Vessel 1988 Porcelain, 53cm Private Collection London, UK

Roma began her career as a professional artist in North Wales in 1980. She received a grant from the Welsh Arts Council for her first solo art show. In 1981, she moved to Germany. She has an art studio in Gmund am Tegernsee in Bavaria.

During the 1980s, her artwork became well-known. Galleries and exhibitions in England, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan showed her pieces. In 1992, Roma's art was part of the "Encuentro" exhibition in Spain. She won another award, the Premio Diputacio da Valencia, in 1999. In 2004, she received the L’Alcalaten prize in Spain.

Flying Roofs 1990 Plexiglas, porcelain 35 x 16 x 16cm Private Collection UK Foto Babuniak
Flying Roofs 1990 Plexiglas, porcelain 35 x 16 x 16cm Private Collection UK

Roma's work was chosen for the Chelsea Crafts Fair in London several times. This helped her connect with important art organizations like the British Arts Council. Her art was bought for famous places like the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It was also purchased for the Royal Museum of Scotland, which is now part of the National Museum of Scotland.

She has exhibited her art in Mino, Japan, and also in Kyoto. In 2005, she was invited to be an artist-in-residence in Shigaraki, Japan. This means she lived and worked there for a time. After this, she had a solo exhibition called Cross-over in Nagoya.

Hanging Nets, Stainless steel, knitted wire, porcelain 100 x 100 x 38cm
Hanging Nets, Stainless steel, knitted wire, porcelain 100 x 100 x 38cm

In 2008, Roma was asked to join a design team for Meissen Porcelain. This company is very famous for its porcelain. The project was meant to celebrate 300 years of Meissen Porcelain. However, the project was later stopped due to changes at the company.

Roma's Artistic Style

In her early career, Roma experimented with shapes inspired by nature. Her art was not meant to be used as everyday objects. Instead, she wanted her pieces to express strong feelings and ideas.

By the 1990s, Roma started adding other materials to her sculptures. She used things like stainless steel and precious metals. This made her art look more like architecture.

View KVII B 2009 Plexiglas, bone china, ink, kimono silk, wire 100 x 25 x 6cm
View KVII B 2009 Plexiglas, bone china, ink, kimono silk, wire 100 x 25 x 6cm

Roma Babuniak's art is often described as minimalist. This means it is simple, clear, and focuses on the most important parts. She often gets ideas from suburban landscapes.

She uses different materials together, even if they seem unusual. She combines bone china, porcelain, Plexiglas, fine wire, stainless steel, and paper. This mix creates an interesting balance in her art. Many people around the world collect her work, and her art has been featured in many publications.

Where You Can See Her Art

Roma Babuniak's artwork is part of many important collections. These include:

  • Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung, München, Germany
  • City Art Gallery, Manchester, England
  • City of Kapfenberg, Austria
  • City Museum, Varazdin, Croatia
  • Collection of John Makepeace, Fars, Beaminster, Dorset, England
  • Dresdner Bank, München, Germany
  • Faenza International Ceramics Museum, Italy
  • Grassi Museum, Leipzig, Germany
  • Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany
  • Museum of Kyoto, Japan
  • Museu L’Alcora, Spain
  • Museo Nacional Gonzalez Marti, Valencia, Spain
  • Museu Manises, Spain
  • Neue Sammlung, München, Germany
  • Raiffeisenbank, Germany
  • National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
  • Sammlung Hinder/Reimers, Schloss Villa Ludwigshöhe, Edenkoben, Germany
  • Sammlung Hoffmann, Berlin, Germany
  • Sammlung Paetzold, Schloß Friedenstein, Gotha, Germany
  • Sammlung Thiemann, Schloß Rheinbeck, Hamburg, Germany
  • Shigaraki Museum of Modern Ceramics, Cultural Park, Japan
  • Universalmuseum Joanneuem, Graz, Austria
  • Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England

Roma's Art Projects

In 1987, Roma Babuniak started the Studio Galerie in Gmund, Germany. This gallery showed art from various artists. She later relaunched the gallery in 2009, focusing on artists from Germany and Japan.

From 2001 to 2009, she also created and managed "Windows for Show" in Tegernsee, Germany. This was a unique idea where artists displayed their work in places not usually used for art shows. This helped more people see the art directly.

Roma has been a member of the AK68 Art Society in Wasserburg am Inn, Germany, since 1998. She also served on their board from 2008 to 2013. In 2016, she helped start a new international gallery in Kalamunda, Western Australia. This gallery showed art from many different artists.

Exhibitions and Events

Roma Babuniak has shown her art in many exhibitions and events around the world. Here are some notable ones:

Key Exhibitions

  • 1976: Degree Show, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, England
  • 1986: 1st International Ceramics Contest, Mino, Japan (Award with Honorable Mention)
  • 1986: 1st Kyoto International Craft Competition, Kyoto, Japan (Award with Meritorious Achievement)
  • 1991: Solo exhibition, Royal Exchange, Manchester, England
  • 1992: International Ceramics Competition, Mino, Japan (Award with Honorable Mention)
  • 1993: The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • 1994: Contemporary Applied Arts, London
  • 2005: Artist-in-Residence, Shigaraki, Japan
  • 2007: 5. International Biennial, Kapfenberg, Austria (Award: Purchase Prize)

Other Events

  • 1988/89/92/95: Chelsea Crafts Fair, London, UK
  • 2003-2012: Tegernseer Kunstausstellung, Germany
  • 2002-2012: Gmundart, Germany
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