ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is grounded in material exploration and cultural traditions. As a multidisciplinary artist, I investigate how objects—particularly those that are discarded, or leftover can be elevated and transformed to convey narrative and meaning.
My Eastern European heritage remains a source of influence. Folk craft, mythology, and handmade traditions provide a foundation I continually return to and I reinterpret through contemporary materials and processes. These lineages inform my aesthetic language and my approach emphasizing technique and the transmission of stories through the handmade.
Much of my work begins with what others leave behind. Scraps from my fabrication studio—rope, salvaged metal, fabric offcuts, and fragments from past projects—become catalysts for new ideas. Their inherent shapes, textures, and histories guide the development of sculptures and fiber-based works that speak to reinvention. Techniques such as wrapping, weaving, binding, and layering function as both physical actions and conceptual gestures: methods of holding fragments together, building meaning through accumulation, and honoring the potential of the overlooked.
For over a decade, I have balanced studio work with public art, including murals, large-scale installations, and community-centered projects. These experiences have taught me to listen closely, respond intuitively, and create space for shared authorship.
Earlier chapters of my creative life—touring as the vocalist of a doom metal band and extensive travel researching global cultures—continue to inform my work. Whether creating intimate objects or immersive environments, I strive for work that is accessible, tactile, and rooted in connection: to heritage, to community, and to the materials that surround us.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Andrea Jablonski
Polish-born, Chicago-bred
I am a multidisciplinary artist, fabricator, and painter whose practice spans textiles, fiber, sculpture, murals, and site-specific installation. Grounded in material exploration and cultural tradition, my work examines how everyday, discarded, and salvaged materials can be transformed into objects that carry narrative, memory, and cultural significance. Drawing from my Polish heritage and extensive travel throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States, I weave folk traditions, craft techniques, and contemporary processes into bold, tactile works.
For over a decade, I have produced a wide-ranging body of public art across Chicago and beyond.These projects include large-scale murals, outdoor sculptures, and immersive installations. My work has been commissioned by institutions such as the Chicago History Museum, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago Loop Alliance, Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago Park District and many private clients. I have been awarded several grants and merits and was recognized as a Chicago Reader “Person of the Year” and featured during Chicago Artists’ Month.
Equally committed to community engagement, I have taught through programs such as After School Matters and have partnered with organizations including Elastic Arts, Arts of Life, and Opera-Matic. My current studio practice focuses on fiber-based works that incorporate weaving, wrapping, and assemblage using scrap/discarded materials, many sourced from my client-based fabrication work. Referencing Polish folk traditions, mythology, and craft, my work reclaims material remnants and repositions them as contemporary artifacts.
I also host an Eastern European themed music show on Lumpen Community Radio once a month.
© Andrea Jablonski