ARTIST STATEMENT
I am allured by the recurring patterns, curvilinear lines, light, sound, and movement that encapsulate the meditative catharsis of nature. I see these within myself and fabricate their connections to the human body. In search of a remedy for anxiety, brain fog, and chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia, I find solace in nature’s ability to engage my senses and bring my mind and body to a place of tranquility. Free-form wood bending techniques have a similar effect. I am grounded in the process of submerging my hands into the water that the wood soaks in, wrapping it over a hot pipe, hearing and seeing steam roll off of the wood, and feeling the heat in my fingertips.
My sculptures, furniture, and jewelry are tangible manifestations of the therapeutic, emotional experiences of nature and woodworking that free me from constant debilitation. Wood is lively; it holds endless capabilities to change and adapt. I embrace this symbiotic relationship between material and maker as I ask wood to place its trust in me to exceed the limits of its physical being, ascending as a light and weightless curvilinear form. I see this possibility of change within myself and encourage a release of emotions by activating space and the senses. Ultimately, I transform processes of making into meditative, healing experiences and intuitively collaborate with material, giving breath to my work. By embracing my perceived limitations and creating a space that invites reflection, I am empowering vulnerability in the human experience.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Brianna Cappelli (She/Her) is a multidisciplinary artist and maker in Richmond, VA. Cappelli is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in Craft & Material Studies. Working primarily in wood and metals, she creates sculptures, furniture, installations and jewelry that draw on the synchronicities of nature and humanity. Her work aims to replicate feelings of tranquility found within sensorial experiences of nature and processes of making. Cappelli has apprenticed with furniture maker David Bohnhoff, creating work for Jomo Tariku, and is preparing for an upcoming internship in England with artist Marc Fish. In 2022, her work was awarded as ‘Best in Lighting’ at the Innovation & Design Competition held by the International Society of Furniture Designers in High Point, NC. Cappelli has also exhibited work at the Anderson Gallery in Richmond, VA for the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition 2021 and 2022, Craft Consciousness, […], Windows to the Inside: Expression of Mental Health for Woman Made Gallery, and was featured in Inc Magazine’s “Metamorphosis” (2022).
© Brianna Cappelli