Julia C R Gray

Julia C R Gray, Cardiff by the Sea, California, uses mid-fire clay to cast and sculpt torsos with hand-painted images using layered glazes & oxides. Her artwork portrays multilayered messages, on the vulnerability and strength of the ocean and women’s bodies. After working as a representational painter, Gray returned to University to focus on sculpture, completing a BFA (2014) with Honors from San Francisco Art Institute. Gray has been awarded scholarships and art grants. Her work is published on the cover of MODIFIED: Living As A Cyborg and in academic texts, as well as art magazines. Gray's sculptures can be viewed in civic galleries, juried exhibitions and museums and is collected nationally. Her work is represented by PXP Contemporary, Juniper Rag and Nanny Goat Gallery, Petaluma, California.  

I create torsos to speak of my concerns of social and climatic upheaval. Female torsos also express my spiritual connection to nature. I am inspired by the beautiful Pacific Ocean and our local Cardiff Reef. If I could stare long enough at the perfect spiral of a shell, I might merge with the consciousness that created that golden ratio. I have yearned for this connection my whole existence, and this connection has always felt both mysterious and essential. My search to connect with nature compels me to walk on the beach at sunrise, transferring that mysterious consciousness when I return to my ceramic studio. My sculpture series SHE-Sea Wisdom features ceramic female torsos that are detailed and encrusted with coral-inspired clay shapes. The body’s opalescent form speaks to the mystery of being, and deeply embedded coral patterns with real gold accents symbolizes nature’s preciousness.

California

United States