Embodied Patterns is a performance drawing project produced by Claire Zakiewicz in Venice, Italy. The project started in 2019 and featured as part of her exhibition Tintoretto’s Daughter during the Venice Contemporary Art Biennale, 2022.

Zakiewicz works in continuous motion in a photography studio in the heart of Venice. She selects colors from boxes of pastels and tubs of paint and produces live, improvised drawings. For her 2022 exhibition she produced a series of soundtracks with musicians Peter Nagle, Ruby Drew and Flosspopps using field recordings and music by Tintoretto’s contemporary Verdelot, which she responded to through a series of live drawings, each approximately 45 minutes in duration. 

This series of editions is produced in collaboration with Venice-based photographer Mark Edward Smith.

Mark Edward Smith is a photographer based in Venice born in 1942. He has assisted photographic stages with Helmut Newton, Marc Ribound, Elliott Erwitt and Oliviero Toscani. Smith was the official photographer for many years at Teatro Fenice, Biennale di Venezia and Palazzo Grassi. His photographs have been published in 56 books in Italy, France, USA, Germany, UK, Japan Korea, Spain and has published in a huge range of international publications including New York Times, The Time, Bell'Italia, Herald Tribune, Harpers Bazar and many others.

Related to this project:

Tintoretto's Daughter, 2022
Venice, May, 19, 2019
Control Variations in Improvised Drawing Practices: A White Paper, 2019
Lensculture