Kimberly Lavonne Luther

Artist Statement

I sculpt parts and segments of the body that oscillate between specimen and relic realized through a ceramic object. Through my sculptures I aim to take the recognizable and transform it into something new in order to hint at the occult wonders, mythologies, and obscure secrets that I create. Three themes gleaned from these ideas are ‘Saints & Secrets,’ ‘Anatomy,’ and ‘The Collection.’

I reference saints for their connection to something beyond our understanding and the wondrous evidence of this within their bodies. My investigation on saints began after reading about those whose faith manifested internally, revealing objects and images that would be found during their embalming.

The forms allude to anatomical illustrations from the Renaissance and 18th century that revealed hidden parts of the body to the viewer. My work reflects what is unseen back at the viewer, as if, like the illustrations, they are looking into themselves. These sculptures reveal what is not real, distorted and faintly familiar anatomy, in order to create a new sense of wonder and investigation of the body.

Collections meant for scientific study and learning, for me are analogous with rooms of reliquaries or crypts of bones.  Like the saints and anatomical illustrations, curiosity cabinets made unseen things visible. By unifying these themes, the viewer is exposed to my created wonders and obscure secrets of the body, which aim to generate insight into the nature of being and seeing.

Exhibitions