ARTIST STATEMENT
I love materials, and often they become the inspiration for my work. I also enjoy pushing boundaries and playing with “what if”— featuring non-traditional elements such as rope and string or even unraveled canvas in my pieces. I also tend to like mathy things and I enjoy creating (not following!) rules for my work, playing with geometric forms and proportions. My training as an industrial designer gives me access to digital fabrication tools and digital modeling techniques, which means you’ll often find laser-cut elements in my work or shapes which have been fabricated on CNC mills. My recent work features commentary on current topics such as the erosion of women’s rights and frustration with perceived powerlessness. I like experimenting with novel materials and techniques and aspire to move next into large-scale installation work in public spaces.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Pam Daniels explores the inherent possibilities in materials themselves through her bold and innovative work. She is a practicing artist and industrial designer and her work has been exhibited at Evanston Art Center, Northwestern University, Kimball Arts Center, and various pop-up events around the Chicagoland area. She has participated in creating murals with Ben Blount and assembled elements of Norman Teague’s work for the 2023 Chicago Architecture Biennial. Pam leads an award-winning design practice called Welcome Industries, focused on intuitive and inclusive everyday products. Her work has been featured on the CBS television series America by Design, gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, been covered by The New York Times, POPSUGAR, Core77, and Phaidon, and her products have been in the MoMA Design Store. Pam is a Clinical Professor Emerita of Design Innovation at Northwestern University. Her arts education has been enhanced by her travels and opportunities to live and work in Chicago, Mexico City, Paris, London, and San Francisco. Pam holds a MS in Product Design from Northwestern University and BA in French from Tufts University.
© Pam Daniels