ARTIST STATEMENT
With a foundation in stained glass and metalsmithing, I create decorative sculptures that blend traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary edge. Glass becomes a structural element, allowing me to construct multi-dimensional, layered compositions. While my work is inspired by the bold colors and forms of Pop Art, its intimate craftsmanship evokes the sense of something much more reserved and clever—as if inviting the viewer to solve a deceivingly easy puzzle. At the core of my practice is an exploration of the disconnect between my external presence and my internal world. I am unsettled by the idea that I exist as two distinct versions of myself—one that is perceived by others and another that remains known only to me. This tension is mirrored in the metaphors I return to: public transportation and the myth of the “artistic genius.” Public transit dictates the movement and visibility of my body, while the notion of artistic genius shapes my inner anxieties about creation and legacy. One considers the immediate and the practical (“Which train car should I get on?”), while the other grapples with history and permanence (“Am I making art that will interest future historians?”). Though these ideas feel distant from each other, they intersect in my work—linked not just by interstate railways but by the passage of time itself.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Amanda Smithivas (b. 2003, Chicago) is a sculptor and undergraduate student at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. She is best known for her stained glass and bronze sculptures, which combine decorative aesthetics with contemporary sensibilities. Amanda has exhibited in several group exhibitions including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL; Var Small Works Gallery, WI; New York Arts Program, NY; and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, WI (forthcoming). She recently completed a 15-week studio residency with the New York Arts Program, and will soon be a participant in the Pool V Cohort + Workshop. Amanda is based in Chicago, IL.
© Amanda Smithivas