Atlanta ceramist Jennifer Diaz strives to make sculptural work that echoes nature, not imitates it. Artist: Born and raised in San Diego, CA, Diaz graduated with a BA in literature and psychology from University of California at San Diego. While she has no formal art training, Diaz has taken various art classes over the years…
Historical architecture, industrialism and haute couture influence the bold jewelry designs of North Carolina metalsmith Jill Melyssa. Artist: Born in Bogota, Colombia, Melyssa was raised in New York. She earned a BA from the University of Albany and an MBA from Empire State University. After college, she worked in various managerial positions in New York…
In her abstract, color-interactive work, Mary Zio occasionally suggests a subject. But more frequently, the North Carolina artist wants her paintings to be open to the viewer’s interpretation. Artist: Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, Zio said there was never a time that she wasn’t exploring or making art. She graduated from SUNY Purchase in…
From a distance, the unique art of Evan Stoler comes together to form intricate textures and patterns. But look closer. The materials the Atlanta artist uses to create his work might surprise you. Artist: Stoler grew up in Omaha, NE, and first found an interest in art in a high school ceramics class. At Denison University…
Kentucky native Emily Ridings says her fashion training helped refine her eye for silhouette, proportion and storytelling: Qualities that now define her basketry. Artist: The Kentucky native grew up in Richmond in a creative family. Judy Ridings, her grandmother, is a master basket weaver who lived nearby. Ridings’ mother is a talented seamstress. By age…
Georgia’s Mitchell Biggio utilizes digital and traditional techniques with simple materials to produce his visually clean and modular wall sculpture. Artist: Growing up in Marblehead, MA, Biggio was always interested in art and building things. In high school, he wanted to be an architect. Biggio started at the Savannah College of Art and Design as…
Daniel Lai transforms discarded books into narrative wall sculptures that explore various themes – from humor to social issues – in everyday life. Artist: Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lai came to the United States in 2000 to attend college. He earned a BA in linguistics and an MA in art history from…
Using both figurative and botanical elements, Raleigh artist Holly Fischer explores the dualities inherent in beauty and femininity in her abstracted white clay works. Artist: Born in Missoula, MT, Fischer grew up with artistic parents who helped foster her early creativity. When she was four years old, Fischer’s family moved from Montana to Boone, NC, where…
Christina Jensen Vicente took the scenic route to becoming an artist. After more than two decades working in the luxury industry, the Florida-based fiber artist now brings her design experience to life through handmade fiber wall hangings, sculptural works and material experimentation. Artist: The Georgia native was born to Danish parents and raised in Atlanta.…
Over the last few years, Georgia’s Jason Matherly has found himself thinking of his colorfully shaped paintings as “brooches for walls.” Artist: Born in Danville, VA, Matherly grew up in Gastonia, NC, near Charlotte. He graduated with a BA in philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned a master’s degree in…