Reese Girdner

Artist & Educator

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Sculptural

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Reese Girdner was born in central Nebraska and he is a PK-12 Art Education major with a minor in 3D Studio Art. He is a ceramic artist whose work explores the balance between functional wheel-thrown forms and ornate decoration to symbolize the desire to be understood and connect with others.He is a recipient of the Stevie Wilson DIY Young Artists Residency grant and he has spent time as summer workstudy at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg, TN). He has had artwork displayed at the Museum of Nebraska Art (Kearney, NE), the LUX Center for the Arts (Lincoln, NE), the Radial Arts Center (Omaha, NE), the Artists' Cooperative Gallery (Omaha, NE), the Brickwalk Gallery (Kearney, NE) where he is a member of the Brickwalk Collective, and he is a Mug Program member at Cedar Creek Coffee & Art (Elkhorn, NE). He has also had multiple artworks featured in The Carillon, UNK's Literary and Art Journal.

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My work explores the relationship between functional wheel-thrown forms and ornate sculptural decoration as a metaphor for the human desire to be understood and to form meaningful connections. Drawing inspiration from literature, film, religion, mythology, philosophy, and other media, I create pieces that reflect the stories, beliefs, and experiences that shape our lives.My work observes the love we have for one another and the communities we create, the friendships we grow, and the memories we make along the way. The remarkable ways that humans connect with one another and forge bonds is symbolized through the connections that can be made from sculpted imagery of plants, animals, bugs, and other flora and fauna. Through themes of perseverance, transformation, and exploration, my work reveals the deeply personal ways we imbue love in what we create.