B.F.A in Studio Art, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Classes Taught
ART 102- 3D Design
ART 214- Painting 1
ART 314- Painting 2
ART 414- Painting 3
ART 514- Painting 4
ART 294- Sculpture 1
ART 394- Sculpture 2
Bio
Reese earned their GED after leaving high school and began their academic journey at Northampton Community College. They later transferred to Kutztown University, where they graduated with a BFA in Studio Art. Reese graduated from Western Carolina University with their MFA in Studio Art. Their ceramic sculptures explore themes of trauma, mental health, and the role of distraction in coping and healing.
Originally from Orwigsburg, PA, Reese now resides in Morehead, KY. Reese’s work has been shown at the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University; Art Fields in Lake City, SC; REVOLVE in Asheville, NC; The Toy Machine Gallery at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts in Richmond, VA, Salt Lake City, SC and Detroit, MI; Mall R.A.T.S in Asheville, NC; Hazleton Art League, Hazleton, PA; Sculpture Innovation and Research Base of Chinese Academy of Arts, Beijing, China; Arrowmont Gallery in Knoxville, TN; Vox Populi in Philadelphia, PA; Miller Gallery at Kutztown University.
Artist Statement
I use cuteness to lure my viewers into my work and elements of horror to betray their trust. In my sculptures, I model my work after animals I grew up seeing. These are primarily animals native to Appalachia, on farms, or considered house pets. When choosing my subject matter, I chose animals because we as humans tend to gravitate towards them and treat them with more empathy than our fellow humans. The idea of animals as the main characters in each story is inspired by a long tradition of animals as central characters of fairy tales, folklore, and fables. Underneath all the makeup, I tell stories of the human experience and how trauma can have a lasting effect on a person. Each animal is alive. They get names, backstories, personalities, likes and interests.
My primary medium is clay. Clay holds memory in the same way I do. As I make, I use my entire body to push the clay into place, then delicately place the details. Before firing, I cut them into several pieces, hollow them out and then put them back together. After firing, I hand-paint each piece using house and acrylic paints. This gives me a moment to sit and take care of them after they experience the harsh kiln firing. My pieces then get an environment that is specific to their story. These situations often use found or gifted objects that help further the stories and/or create a more elaborate distraction.
