Shana Kohnstamm
My work reflects a peculiar interest in the consciousness of living things––the point where corporeal and ethereal meet: what makes something alive. I am captivated by the cellular mechanics of organisms, the movement and awareness of plants and animals, and the intrinsic unspeakable drive that artists have to create. These fuel my studio practice. I was raised on classic science fiction and have always been in awe of world-building talents, those brilliant humans who could conjure new physics, mind-bending science, and unimagined realities within their own minds. Where do these ideas come from and how do artists access them? When sculpting, I prefer to use my hands, either directly on the material or with the simplest of tools: primitive and slow. There is a meditative state that occurs when decisions are made unconsciously, as if the work itself is eager to be birthed. I am particularly drawn to the concept of biomorphism, which refers to the representation of living forms in art. By expanding the definition of “living” to otherworldliness, alternate realities, and spiritual realms, my sculptures are both familiar and strange. They seem to breathe and move with a life of their own.
Instagram: @shana_kohnstamm
My work reflects a peculiar interest in the consciousness of living things––the point where corporeal and ethereal meet: what makes something alive. I am captivated by the cellular mechanics of organisms, the movement and awareness of plants and animals, and the intrinsic unspeakable drive that artists have to create. These fuel my studio practice. I was raised on classic science fiction and have always been in awe of world-building talents, those brilliant humans who could conjure new physics, mind-bending science, and unimagined realities within their own minds. Where do these ideas come from and how do artists access them? When sculpting, I prefer to use my hands, either directly on the material or with the simplest of tools: primitive and slow. There is a meditative state that occurs when decisions are made unconsciously, as if the work itself is eager to be birthed. I am particularly drawn to the concept of biomorphism, which refers to the representation of living forms in art. By expanding the definition of “living” to otherworldliness, alternate realities, and spiritual realms, my sculptures are both familiar and strange. They seem to breathe and move with a life of their own.
Instagram: @shana_kohnstamm