ARTIST STATEMENT

Through my work, I seek to understand self, con­cept, object and material in order to provoke thought and stimulate the visual experience of the viewer. I use texture and object to connect with culture for both reference and visual pre­ser­vation. Repetition is used to study con­cepts fur­ther and to create individual objects in the same family. These elements embed a context in my work and create a visual style that is both spon­taneous and technical.

BIOGRAPHY

Michigan born and raised multimedia artist Iggy Sumnik creates ceramics, sculptures, prints, coll­ages and more. His techniques focus on texture and balance and include an intricacy and depth that permeates his work. Sumnik received his BFA with a dual concentration in ceramics and sculp­ture from Detroits Wayne State University in 2004. He spent several years working as a sculp­ture instructor with Detroits historic Pewabic Pottery, Camp Tamakwa in Algonquin Provincial Park, and Youthville Detroit, the largest and most comprehensive youth development center in the Midwest. Sumnik recently finished a three-year commitment as assistant at the Jun Kaneko Studio in Omaha, Nebraska. The artists work has been shown in numerous regional galleries, in­cluding Iggy Sumnik Sculpture, a highly suc­cess­ful 2009 one-man show at Jackson Artworks in Omaha. He has been commissioned to create several pieces for private collectors. His clothing line, Urbani, is another development in the artists expanding repertoire. Sumniks work, which has been said to share a similar visual aeshthetic to that of Tim Burton and Dr. Seuss, has been described as archaic and fantastical, rife with balance and harmony. Iggy continues to support young people in their artistic ex­plor­ations through his most recent work as in­struc­tor at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. He currently works through a private studio at Omaha Clay Works and continues to show his work in both traditional and experimental art venues.