Forget-me-nots become a symbol

The works of the 33-year-old Zug artist both surprise and touch. They are inspired by her mother's illness.

It’s stories from life that interest Sara Liz Marty and inspire her to create art. “Talking to other people about their stories is exciting,” says the artist. Because there is a story that is touching behind each of her works.

The exhibition “Forget Me Not”, which opened last Saturday in the Billing Gallery in Baar, shows two groups of works: the one that gives it the title was created autobiographically, the second, “Filling the Void”, is about the search for identity by people from the London LGBTQIA+ community.

In the large gallery space, the latest works from “Forget Me Not” immediately stand out through their intense charisma, which arouses curiosity. The focus here is on dealing with the difficult topic of dementia.

But why is a young artist concerned with this? The 33-year-old explains this with the illness of her mother, who was diagnosed with dementia last year. This raised many questions about what happens when memories disappear, how does that affect identity? “I went for walks with my mother and talked to her about our relationship.”

Touching shots can be seen as subtle 3D visualizations and large embroidered images of mother and daughter - leaning towards each other, each giving the other support. Or the mother alone in the garden, almost disappearing among the plants. “What is close provides information, what is further away disappears,” says the Zug native. The people are often just shadowy, coloured dots, which seem to disappear into the dark, pixelated background.

Challenging creation process
Sara Liz Marty speaks of the demanding process of creating and editing digital 3D visualisations from photographs. And about the blue flowers that give the exhibition its title. They remind the artist of a special scene: “On the first walk, my mother suddenly said: “A forget-me-not”. Not to be forgotten by her mother was just one of the many thoughts that have been on Sara Liz Marty's mind since then, and these have influenced her work. But as soon as she starts to talk about her work, her commitment becomes palpable.

Sara Liz Mary in the Billing Gallery
Her mother's dementia raised questions in the artist's mind
Forgetting is the main theme                       Photos: Roger Zbinden

Her large embroideries on polyester are particularly impressive, as they outline details of photos of mother and daughter, and subjects with forget-me-nots in contours. Thanks to the special embroidery technique – not with a needle, but with the “tufting gun” – they can be used on both sides as three-dimensional objects. The multicoloured wool threads often hang over the edge of the frame.

Funding contribution from the canton in 2023
Sara Liz Marty attended the preliminary course at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. She then studied in Bath and London for a few years and completed a Masters in Fashion Futures at the University of the Arts. She has been living in Zug again for three years. “In the preliminary course, I had the choice of choosing textile design or fine art. I chose textile design. Today, I’m interested in combining traditional craftsmanship with innovative techniques.”

The artist, who pursues her art projects alongside her office job, is pleased that her work is being recognised with the current exhibition in Baar and the announcement of a sponsorship award from the Canton of Zug. "It's an honour, it motivates me and is an incentive for my art."

The exhibition runs until November 5th in the Billing Baar Gallery, Haldenstr. 1:
Monday, Thursday, Friday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.,
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.