Fighting Spirit

Exhibition Statement from the Artist: My sculptural work explores my  anxieties. Early childhood experiences  drove me to doubt my self-esteem, developing  into a state of  worry and distress. To cope with these emotions, my parents gave me a dog and he became a great companion. I use the imagery of dogs in my work to represent the joy in life. However, underlying that happiness, I incorporate odd features into my dogs like extra teeth or ears to symbolize those lingering anxieties. Much like myself, my work is struggling  to find a balance between joy and sorrow.

Erika Sanada's early inspirations stemmed from creatures and characters of horror films. Watching these stories were a way for her to escape unpleasant realities during childhood. She creates intricate, hairless ceramic creatures—often adorable but also unsettling and bizarre. Her artwork has been published in Hi-Fructose Magazine, Hey! Magazine and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine. Sanada is represented by Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco where the artist currently lives and works.