Austin Clay Willis - Victoria, BC

Originally from Oakland, California, I moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 2015 to pursue a Bachelors of Fine Arts at the University of Victoria. Throughout schooling, my work has developed significantly, shifting into large scale abstract painting, sculpture, and installation. I have a great interest in site specific installation work, and creating projects that engage and beautify spaces. As an emerging artist, I have received public commissions in Oakland, Pleasanton, San Bruno, and Victoria. Over the summer of 2019 I produced solo exhibits at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill, Arc.hive Artist Run Centre, and Xchanges Gallery (all in Victoria, B.C). I have organized and shown in group exhibitions as well, and I was recently named a recipient of the 2019 International Sculpture Centre’s Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award.

My work is rooted in the experience of space and materials, and often engages physical participation through movement. It also strives for an ambiguity which makes the work difficult to resolve. I want to create an experience which is specific to a particular piece of artwork. I regularly use materials such as found scraps of dimensional lumber, discarded sheets of plastic, tarpaulin, textiles, and cans of mistinted house paint. Inspiration for my forms comes from a wide array of information, ranging from construction sites, to picture frames, domestic furniture, and even DIY style backyard treehouses. In many of my works, geometric forms are juxtaposed with hectic assemblages of wood and soft material, creating dynamic compositions with a charismatic configuration or visual balance.

View my work online at www.austinclaywillis.com or on instagram @austinclaywillis