Today, we are going In the Studio with artist Martina Loncar. Her artwork is on display in the Patricia Barland Gallery exhibit Of Light and Shadow, on view from April 29 - May 27, 2025

The gallery reception for the show is on May 22, 2025 from 6 - 8 pm.

RSVP HERE

Martina Loncar is a mixed-media artist whose work explores how trees and humans are connected to their environments. Specifically, she uses the quiet interdependency of root systems as a model for how humans can better care for one another and their communities. She views nature as a nurturing and humbling force from which humans can learn valuable lessons.

Loncar's expansive practice includes sculpture, paper-cutting, drawing, collage, video, and installation. She also writes and exhibits poetry alongside her work. She has had multiple group and solo shows, including exhibitions at the Katzen Arts Center, DC Arts Center, Anacostia Arts Center, Sitar Arts Center, and Clifford Gallery in Upstate New York. Her work is included in the American University’s Watkins Collection and has been reviewed in "The Washington Post.”

Born in Toronto, Canada, Loncar currently lives and works in Washington, D.C. She earned her B.A. at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and her M.F.A. in studio art at the American University in Washington, D.C.

This exhibition falls under National Poetry Month (April) and National Love A Tree Day (May 16; “to raise awareness about the importance of trees and encourage planting and caring for them.”) Can you explain your connection to both of these celebrations?

Wow, both of these really resonate with my art practice! While there isn’t any poetry in my current exhibition at the Chesapeake Arts Center, I do journal regularly. In the past, I’ve turned some of these journal entries into poems that I include with my artwork. What I love most about poetry is its versatility—it can be playful, serious, or take on an unconventional format. Sometimes, making art is enough to express how I feel, but other times, I need words to help me bridge that emotional or conceptual gap.

I hadn’t heard of National Love A Tree Day before, but I’ve marked it on my calendar now and can’t wait to celebrate! Trees are vital to our planet, and a big part of my studio practice is learning about the many essential roles they play in their ecosystems.

What emotion(s) fuel your work?

For a long time, I believed my work was centered on grief. I began creating my current body of work—mostly rendered in black—while grieving the loss of a close friend. Around that same time, I was reading a book about trees, and one passage described an old stump in the forest that, despite being cut down, was kept alive by the surrounding trees through their shared underground root system. That image really struck me. I found myself reflecting on how broken I felt—like that stump—and on the incredible ways my community (friends, family, students, and others) showed up for me. Their support mirrored the trees in that story, offering care and connection when I needed it most. As I worked through that period, I began to understand that love was at the core of my grief. The two are so closely intertwined—we grieve because we’ve loved deeply. And at the same time, I was overwhelmed by the love I was receiving from those around me. That kind of quiet, steady care continues to shape my work. So while grief may have opened the door, it’s love—and the relationships that sustain and surround me—that fuels what I make.

Your bio notes that your artwork “explores how trees and humans are connected to their environments through deep-rooted networks of care”. Can you explain your inspiration and connection to nature?

I spent a lot of time outdoors with my parents as a child, and as an introverted person, I think I’ve always found a sense of peace in nature. That connection has stayed with me as I’ve grown, and over the past few years, my curiosity about plant, tree, and fungal life has only deepened—especially after reading books like Finding the Mother Tree, The Hidden Life of Trees, and Entangled Life (to name a few). What I find especially compelling is how much of nature’s support system exists underground and out of sight—quiet networks of care and communication. That really resonates with me, especially in a world that often feels so loud and fast-paced. It’s a reminder that not everything needs to be visible to be meaningful. Some things can be quiet and powerful.

Are there physical materials from nature that stay in your studio for reference during the creative process? Is there a certain time of year that nature inspires you the most?

I keep a cross-section of a tree in my apartment studio, and I love looking at its growth rings. We don’t often get to witness a tree growing in real time, but those rings are a reminder that growth is always happening—even if it's slow, even if we can’t see it right away. They make me think about my own personal growth, too. When I’m feeling stuck or like I’m not making progress, it’s comforting to remember that change doesn’t always have to be dramatic to be meaningful.

Lately, spring has been the season inspiring me the most. Some of the pieces in Of Light and Shadow even move away from the all-black palette to depict blooming grasses and spring flowers. This feels like a shift in my work to something more vibrant!

What’s in a name; how do you title your artworks?

The titles for my artworks come to me in different ways. Some are inspired by specific locations or carvings that have influenced the piece. For example, I have a few drawings inspired by Rock Creek Park, and they’re titled accordingly. Rock Creek is also where I came across a tree carving that inspired Amy N’ Dad. It stood out to me because, unlike the romantic messages you often see carved into trees, this one seemed to reflect a father-daughter relationship. I found that really touching—it was a beautiful tribute to family connection.

Other titles come from imagining myself and those close to me as tree-beings. I know it’s a little whimsical, but there’s so much I admire about trees, and I believe they have a lot to teach us. One piece in the show is titled I Will Grow Tall Like A Tree. It features a young tree standing near two towering elders. For me, this piece reflects ideas of growth, parenthood, and the different stages we move through in life. When I made it, I was thinking about my own relationship with my parents, but also my older sister, who recently become a mom.

To find out more about Martina and her work, visit her website.