Artist Statement: "Inspired by my childhood, my dancing times in a Polish folk dance group and wearing a beautifully embroidered and beaded corset- one that attracted the eye with it’s colorful, carefully stitched flowers, leaves, dots and other motifs. The piano has a bit of a nostalgic and vulnerable feel, bringing me back to those careless and joyful times. In my work, I use red tones to create a personal presence and space within, a space for time in solitude, silent reflections on life and perhaps an innately unifying struggle with isolation. Every piece of glass can be a memory, gesture, thought, smile, tear, or hug. I would like to thank Orent Design for sponsoring the beautiful glass, and other helpers - you know who you are :)"
"Edyta Halon is a New York based mosaic artist actively participating in a variety of art happenings around the area. She has volunteered with Sing for Hope for the past four years and has created two pianos in past Piano Installations. As a young woman traveling from Poland to New York on several occasions, Edyta decided this was a place to explore her sensitivity for art. Along with moving to Brooklyn in 2001 came a job at one of Brooklyn's finest marble mosaic studios working as a mosaic assistant. A couple of years later, Edyta enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology to study painting. Shortly after receiving her BFA, some forces dragged her back onto the beloved mosaic path, where she has been to this day. Not so long ago, Edyta felt an urge to explore a different mosaic medium and she picked stained glass. Mosaic Corset Piano is one of the results of these glass adventures."