Christiana Updegraff

Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Artist statement

My work confronts the notions of societal gender norms and pushes back against the notions of perfection, value, and keeping up appearances. I have been making work that directly challenges the idea of domestic bliss and the female identity. I am particularly interested in the objects of domesticity and human comfort in conjunction with imagery of emptiness and decay. I am intrigued by the interior and exterior views, and careful placement of work in a gallery setting which allows the viewer to observe the inside of a piece, but not quite fully access it. My work often refers to the body in gesture, color, form, and texture. I aim to obscure my materials and processes, to rid them of prescribed value. Through this material subversion, I attempt to engage the viewer with the work more fully, while lending a hand to intrigue, secrecy, and solitude.

Artwork