About

ARTIST STATEMENT

Categories, rules, and boxes are all means to organize, dictate and contain various aspects of our lives. They can also misrepresent, restrict, and obscure the exploration and expression of authentic experiences. What creates a sense of order for some can actually act as a censor for the reality that lurks beneath what we are comfortable acknowledging. My process resists conventional expectations as I explore concepts of discomfort and society’s attempt to rearrange causes of angst into compartmentalized vignettes of acceptability. My work exposes emotions, challenges perceptions, and mocks social norms. I enjoy making people uncomfortable so they are forced to examine their own reactions and ultimately realize they can actually relate and connect with the concepts they initially deemed revolting, inferior, or unacceptable. I seek to instigate a confrontation between our external projections and our internal interpretations that leads to conversations about what makes us weird, normal, or beautiful—and who’s really in charge of handing out those labels.

CV

Originally from Encinitas, California, Lucy Stefanko is a Chicago-based visual artist. While she focuses primarily on fiber art and printmaking, her focus extends to a variety of media to express her perspectives. Her artistic practice began at the age of 8 when she was enrolled in an immersive visual art collective that provided instruction from teaching artists as well as the visiting professional artists-in-residence. More than just a hobby, art developed into the way Lucy processed and navigated the world around her. Currently attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she continues to create and exhibit.

EDUCATION

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

pursuing BFA in Studio, class of 2023 (merit scholar)

Early College Program 2017-2018 (merit scholar)

Stone And Glass

Studied glass blowing with James Stone 2014–2018

Lux Art Institute

Kids in Residence 2008-2014

Youth Collective 2015-2019

Studied with artists-in-residence onsite at Lux including MacArthur Fellows Elizabeth Turk and Robert W. Irwin. Other influential artists Lucy studied with include Melora Kuhn, Ann Weber, Marcus Kenney, and Jarmo Mäkilä, among others.