Separation, 2023, gouache on wood sealed in shellac

Ainsley Steeves grew up in Georgia. She received her BFA in Arts with a focus in Sculpture and a BA in English-Professional Writing from Columbus State University in 2022. In 2021, Steeves attended the Forest-Body-Chair session at Mildred’s Lane, and she is the recipient of the 2020 National League of American Pen Women Scholarship.

As a sculptor, Steeves creates pieces that are based on memories and the connections we make with objects. Initially, the starting point for the objects begins on a personal level with memories and text-based associations. Yet, through the repurposing of materials and by inviting audience interaction with[in] the space, the audience is able to create their own narrative or associations with the objects.

Steeves is currently a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Artist Statement

Loss is intrinsically tied into my process as I delve into the deterioration of materials and of memory. In my works, I select materials (or objects) based on their ability to personally invoke associations with specific memories, individuals, and/or places. Often, a visual language of symbols or borrowed imagery and text is drawn upon and then superimposed onto an object with signs of a previous history. By combining visual language and found objects into an installation, I am able to reflect upon and embody my memories and emotions while also creating a point of engagement with viewers.

In my artmaking, I delve into my experiences and emotions surrounding familial loss in an attempt to reach a sense of catharsis. By doing so, I am able to become increasingly aware of how these losses have impacted me and how my understanding of loss has changed over time. The artworks I create act as an embodiment of this and I use my research into semiotics, presence in absence, and object relation to establish and situate the artworks within the present.