Artist Bio
Garrett Sohnly, a lifelong artist, was born and raised in Ohio where they developed an affinity for his multidisciplinary practice and acquired a BFA of Interior Architecture minoring in Fine Arts and Creative Writing, May 2019. Their mediums involve acrylic paint, needlework, fashion, and sculpture, drawing, leather work, drag, and more. Many of their more intimate inspirations draw from masculine figures and other expressions of self; some, come out of efforts to renew, regenerate, or change the environment such as making fabric dye out of invasive weeds or painting native wildflowers. The values imbued in their work convey a sense of care often complimented with ornate details. Their paintings use color thoughtfully and carry a graphic inspiration from queer art history, such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. In the future they’ll continue to grow their body of work as a practicing artist through many mediums.
Artist Statement
After acquiring my Undergrad from Columbus College of Art & Design I moved to San Francisco in July 2019 to search for work in the design industry and access resources available to young artists; I went from selling luxury furniture at Roche Bobois in Columbus Ohio to selling fine sculpture and furniture at The Future Perfect in San Francisco California. Once the Coronavirus shut almost everything and our gallery down I did everything I could to stay afloat in the expensive city even applying for grants such as with the SFAC, I was awarded 3 grants with two being training programs where I then became a full-time student studying 3D printing and Grant writing.
With these new skills on the way, I am closer to realizing many more design ideas through the use of 3D modeling, automated fabrication, and potential grant funding in hopes to shape my career in a rewarding manner. Through all of this work, I adore opportunities to work on plenty of community art projects such as organizing the first ever Columbus Zine Fest which is a collective of artists, creatives, and authors local to Ohio who create and sell their independently published books or Zines. One main reason I like to make art is because I can exert or influence some form of control over my environment, sometimes by taking direct action and other times by visual representation. My abstract work is also dealing with the environment as it uses color and shape to evoke feelings. I like to create my own icons because it’s like creating one’s own superhero, what would they look like, how would they act, and what do they do? What kinds of icons might I need to help me survive as an artist both culturally and be happy as a subject of my own?