Featured Artist: Sadie bat Kalman

We are thrilled to feature artist Sadie bat Kalman! Sadie is a fiber, metals, paint, and ink, artist whose use of texture and stroke creates emotive and animated pieces.

Where are you from?

I grew up in New York and have since moved around the country, living in North Carolina and Washington before moving to Tucson in 2021.

What got you started making art?

I’ve been consumed by art since I was a teen but didn’t start making art until my early 20s when I was asked to make a collage for a friend. It felt so freeing and immersive I decided to do a career switch from anthropologist to artist.

What’s your artistic background? (experience, education, etc.)

I received my MFA in Interdisciplinary and Decolonial Art Praxis from Goddard College in 2022, where my emphasis was archiving and portraiture. I’m primarily a self-trained artist and have exhibited in Tucson as well as in South Korea, New York City, and Asheville, North Carolina. I recently began working with fibers and metals, in addition to paint and ink.

Who or what are your biggest artists’ influences?

Gothic architecture and ornamental arts have always been impactful to me. Artists I’ve been most inspired by are On Kawara, Leonora Carrington, Isamu Noguchi, and Julie Mehretu.

Where do you get your inspiration for your art?

Inspiration often stems from being in community and collaboration with other artists and peers. I’m deeply entranced by natural landscapes, how they change with time and we participate in that, and how they instill a sense of awe in the viewer. In practice much of my work is driven less by the subject matter and more so by asking how and with what materials an object can be made.