Featured Artist Sheryl Zacharia

The sculptural forms of artist Sheryl Zacharia are a product of her love for ancient art and modern art, and the tactile feel of the clay she uses. Enjoy more of this artist’s work by visiting her website.

 

 

I recently moved from a lifetime of living in New York City to a more serene life in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My desire was to devote myself full time to making art in a home studio surrounded by the incredible beauty of the Southwest.

 

 

This change has given much new direction to my work, though my New York City aesthetic is ingrained and will always be present. My most recent Solo Exhibition was titled “The Sky is the Water” as so many asked me if I would miss the ocean. My answer was, “the sky is the water.” The incredible sunsets, expansive sky and terrain here have provided endless inspiration. I am very much influenced by my surroundings.

 

 

I also immerse myself in all types of art, both ancient and modern, which feeds my creativity greatly. When I see beauty in life or art I want to repeat it somehow in a unique and meaningful way.

 

 

My work is also guided by my love for music—I was a singer and songwriter in my younger years and am always engaged in music while working in the studio. The abstract shapes and painted surfaces are influenced by that background—pattern and form are rhythm, palette is harmony, lines and shapes are lyrical. I’m striving to make visual poetry.

 

 

My clay works are influenced by the material itself, and the tactile and visceral process of hand building. This is why my surfaces reveal the process; and the process becomes the surface.

 

 

The drawing and painting on the forms are not decoration but rather a way to enhance the shapes. Though primarily self-taught, I briefly attended college. I was a painting major and so the urge to use my sculptures as canvas is a natural inclination. It is also what has driven me to make wall works as well as 3D sculptures.

 

 

My glazing process involves the layering of slips, underglazes, oxides and glazes to achieve richness and depth. The textured, patterned and linear details help the eyes travel deliberately around the forms. I find the combination of raw and refined surfaces echoes the inevitable marriage of new and old.

 

 

In the last couple of years I have been able to increase the scale of my work due to a larger kiln and work space. This year, due to upcoming Invitationals, I will be concentrating on smaller scale works, perhaps creating pieces that can be assembled or work in groups.

 

 

The scale of work, whether going larger or smaller, sets up its own unique challenges in terms of design. I sketch a lot and my works come out of those drawings. Surfaces tend to be more spontaneous.

 

 

The intention of my art is not to tell a story, but to create objects that influence and enhance the space around them, evoking an emotional response.

 

Artist Sheryl Zacharia invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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