About
Artist Statement
The mind creates, the chaos accentuates. Inspired by psychology and sociology, I look into the inner mechanisms of my psyche and attempt to understand how my mentality and societal surroundings affect my personality. I investigate the nuances of emotion and the complicated concept of life and death through symbolism in my representational sculptures. To achieve such meaning within my pieces, I start by reflecting on my own experiences and then determining materials and symbols that best portray those ideas. As for technique, I enjoy using the lost-wax casting method to portray a sense of weight and importance of the concept within my metal pieces. In addition to lost wax casting, I also utilize wood’s unique quality of being once alive and useful in death to symbolize ideas of mortality and strength within my constructed wood pieces.
As someone who has immensely struggled with mental health, it is somewhat therapeutic for me to recreate my thoughts and feelings through sculpture. Much of my art involves references to childlike innocence and the influences of society in maturing, while also juxtaposing darker themes by creating contrasts between notions of harsh realities and optimistic imagination. My ultimate goal is to encourage the audience to reflect on their own life experiences and work to truly understand themselves and others. My work is intended to be thought-provoking and paralyzing; work that you have to stop and look at to fully grasp the hidden meanings. Sometimes the most nuanced and confusing parts of our lives can be the most enjoyable. Understanding what makes us think and why we believe what we believe is an important step in growing as a person and as a society.
Biography
Ava Reiner was born in Mitchell, South Dakota on August 29th, 2001, and grew up in Tripp South Dakota. She attends the University of South Dakota where she is in her senior of her Bachelor of Fine Arts program. Currently living in Vermillion South Dakota, Ava Reiner also works at the National Music Museum besides her studies. She is known for her study of the human mind and emotion through sculpture, painting, and photography. Ava Reiner’s style and the concepts behind her work focus on living things and psychology, more specifically, human interactions with the world and emotions. She aims to create art that depicts complex human experiences and behaviors that are not easily defined with words. Personal experiences and expressions of her emotional well-being are also significant factors that are reflected in her artwork. Sculptural work is her specialization. Ava Reiner was first introduced to art at a young age through craftwork and furniture restoration taught by her mother. In high school, she gained a deeper love for art and found a passion for the craft of sculpture. At the University of South Dakota, Ava was able to develop her skills and invest in her artistic dreams.
Her work has been awarded and displayed in various exhibitions, most notably the Stilwell Student Art Exhibition in 2021 where she was awarded Best of Show, and in 2022 where she received a Merit Award. She has also participated in various group exhibitions including the Stilwell Refuse Exhibition in 2022, The Art in NYC Exhibition in 2022, and Immaculate Darts VAAC Exhibition in Vermillion South Dakota in 2022. In addition to these accomplishments, Ava continues to enter her work in exhibitions and plans to continue to develop her professional portfolio after graduation. Her next steps include attending a graduate art program and progressing as a professional sculptural artist. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts, she intends to create quality art to be exhibited at art galleries or museum exhibitions to inspire and move people on a larger scale. She is also interested in eventually becoming an art professor at a university or holding museum or art gallery administrative positions.
