North Carolina’s Tonya Thornton says there is always a fantastical nature to her puzzle-like collages and playful sculptures.
Artist: Born in Niagara Falls, NY, her family moved to South Florida when she was five. After high school, she headed to Florida State University (FSU), where she graduated with a BFA in 1998.
She left Florida for the San Francisco/Oakland area, where she earned an MFA from Mills College and was active in the Bay Area arts scene for nearly 10 years. A couple of moves later, she settled in Raleigh in 2014.
Company/studio: Tonya Solley Thornton is based in Raleigh, NC. The artist has had studio space at Anchorlight in downtown Raleigh since 2022.
In the beginning: Started taking art classes at FSU and couldn’t get enough. Thornton ended up applying to the college’s BFA program, which was unique because undergrads got studio space, where artists could see each other working.
“It really felt like a community,” said Thornton, who leaned in to working with found objects, like stuffed animals that she would take apart and put back together with other objects. “There was always a fantastical nature to my work.”
Art & materials: Collages ($35 to $1,000) and small and large-scale plant-like sculptures ($250 to $10,000). Collages and sculptures often influence each other.
- Collage materials: Old craft magazines and books, from cake decorating books and children’s books to vintage plant books.
“I have thousands of bits and pieces that I cut out from them and play with when I am starting a new collage,” said Thornton. “They come together like puzzles.”
- Sculpture materials: Mostly found or everyday materials, like bits of old toys, afghans and fabrics, sticks, scrap wood, plastic flowers, beads, yarn, cardboard and flocking. Sometimes epoxy clay and paper pulp are used to sculpt elements and mix with other materials.
Must-have tools: Scissors, Yamato glue stick, print roller pliers and hot glue gun.
Inspirations:
- Artists: Joseph Cornell, Mike Kelley, Niki de Saint Phalle, Nick Cave, Ron Nagle and Judy Pfaff.
- Animatronics, children’s fairylands, roadside attractions and Dr. Seuss.
- Coral, kudzu and weird shaped tree branches and strange plants.
Special commissions: A friend wanted to gift a couple of collages to her mother in law and her twin sister.
Thornton asked about their favorite colors and gathered up lots of different collage pieces to work with. Both collages ended up slightly different but with a very similar feel.
“I received the sweetest thank you letters from both of the sisters,” said Thornton.
Recent award/honors: 2025 United Arts Council Artist Support Grant.
Current exhibit: Has a grouping of her small sculpture in a sweet show called “Wild at Heart,” which showcases the work of young artists who have taken art instruction and appreciation classes with Raleigh-based artist Jenny Eggleston, owner of Egg in Nest Art Studio.
Each year Eggleston hosts a show of her students’ work and invites local artists to hang their work in the show at the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex, NC. Through March 30.
What’s new: Working on some new 2D work that combines collage and sculptural elements.
What’s next:
- Small group show with four women titled “Material Connections” at the Peel Gallery in Carrboro, NC. Opens March 14.
- Two-person show with her studio mate and friend Martha Thorn at the Block Gallery, in the Raleigh Municipal Building. May-July.
Where to buy:
- Tonyasolleythornton.com
- Peel Gallery in Carrboro, NC.
- Anchorlight (May 3, open house.
Connect: Instagram: @tonya_solley_thornton
