R E C L A I M E D CR E A T I O N S

Creating energy and harmony from discarded plastic objects, transmitting a message of hope.

R E C E N T P R O J E C T S

Artist Statement

I grew up with Shinto animist belief that all things in the world have spirits. Thus, when I see discarded items on the street or thrift store shelves, I feel a deep sadness for them and I am moved to make these abandoned objects happy. Currently I use mostly common plastic household items to create animal forms with a sense of movement and self-awareness. I manipulate and assemble them together as brush strokes to create an effect similar to a Van Gogh painting in three dimensions.

One of the important tasks for artists of our time is to bring more of the natural world back into people's lives, especially in urban areas. When we encounter the true wonders of nature, the beauty we behold transcends our intellects and reaches directly to our hearts. I desire a similar response from viewers of my work; to provoke a re-examination of our relationship to the natural world. I also believe that when we can find beauty in one unexpected place, it carries over to other areas of our lives and helps us also find good in things, events and people that we had not considered before. It helps us feel more open and kind toward the whole world.

I believe the best way for artists to help reduce waste is to show how beautiful these materials can be, and what can be done with these mundane objects and materials. When we think of these things as beautiful, we value them.

Storm the Thunderbird

Sculptural interpretation of a thunderbird

 

 

Sayaka Ganz was born in Yokohama, Japan and grew up living in Japan, Brazil, and Hong Kong. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University Bloomington and continued to create welded sculptures of animal forms independently. Using reclaimed metal and plastic objects, Sayaka’s recent sculptures depict animals in motion with rich colors and energy. She describes her style as “3D impressionism”, creating an illusion of form using plastic objects as brush strokes that become visible upon observation from close proximity.