QUERENCIA

Maxima Smith

‘Querencia’ was made as a feminine parody on bull fighting. By replacing the matador with a ribbon dancer and the bull with a cat, Smith questions the spectacle of this controversial tradition, substituting bravado for subtler actions. A sort of un-choreographed dance takes place between cat and person. The film focuses on the ‘Querencia’- the point where the dancer and the cat repeatedly return to.

Maxima would like to thank Nye Smith and Lynn Murphy for their help in this project.

Maxima Smith works primarily in film, focusing on rhythm, gesture, the body and dance. Her films are often on loop, questioning the idea of climax and anti-climax. The repetition allows movements to become sculptural, as well as giving the films a Sisyphean quality. She was born in 1992 in London, where she continues to live and work. She graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2016 with BA first class honours. During her time at Slade she was awarded the Alfred Rich Scholarship and was involved in a number of group shows. Maxima continues to show her work in London, she is currently a part of the Bow Arts collective where she has a studio, and a member of the artist run space ‘Fat Relic’ in Ladywell where they host exhibitions and events.