Bio 

Kathleen Studebaker is a multi-media sculptor focusing on wood, metal, cast plastic and a variety of other materials. She is a fabricator and all-around tinkerer with a great love of detailed fabrication and problem-solving. She makes every element of each of her works by hand (no CNC or lasers; no found-objects). Her work often references the far-flung future, or perhaps alternate realities, and is inspired by astronomy, narrative fantasy, and the intersection of digital technology with mechanical function. Aside from her art, Kathleen has an (potentially unhealthy) interest in order and organization, and busies herself with (a possibly inordinate amount of) customization of personal items: from clothing to storage solutions & furniture. She earned her MFA in sculpture from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL in 2013, and is currently working as a studio artist based in Philadelphia, PA.

To learn more about Kathleen and her work, visit her website at www.KathleenStudebaker.com, or follow her Instagram @KathleenStudebaker_art.

Statement

Sometimes the pieces I create tell a story, more often they exist inside the context of one. I make objects that belong somewhere else, and have a story of their own. I consume narrative fantasy voraciously and have always been fascinated by the idea of a post-paradigm shift future, and what it may hold. I am also interested in (amateur) astronomy; our seemingly infinite universe and all its mysteries. Learning about the life-cycle of stars, or looking at the incredible new images produced by orbiting satellites, reminds me of how small I am: how narrow my view, how finite my nature. I know that I can’t hope to ever truly understand my place in the wider scheme of things. This fact might seem frightening or disheartening, but I use it as inspiration. There are infinite possible stories out there, and as much as I am able, I will use my time here to consume and create as many of them as I can.