Matias Lazo-Fanning

Artist Statement

I suppose I followed the normal course of all children, creating art with crayons and markers at home and at school. However, as the years progressed, my interests and needs changed. I began building structures and functional objects. I gained experience in construction, working with different materials including wood, cement, plaster, and tile. With the skills I gained through construction, I was able to hone in on the craft required to work with these materials.

In 2017, my world changed. I was attending the University of Redlands and working towards a Sociology degree, which required me to take a sculpture class. The first week of class I fell in love with it. Working with materials that I was familiar with allowed me to manifest myself by using them in innovative ways. In the past two years I have explored with different media and learned skills that artists need, from creating a budget and time line for projects, to critiquing others work. There were mistrials of course, but these allowed me to learn from my mistakes. Finding a passion and theme for my art enables me to use my imagination to exhibit my feelings and opinions. As I continue to develop all my skills, I plan to continue expressing myself through my artwork.