Blossoming Through the Fence
![03907F23-760A-457D-8D49-03FBFECC4AF3_1_201_a[78].jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/721828_6c4945b060364289a5b915564e6961b1~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_780,h_786,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/03907F23-760A-457D-8D49-03FBFECC4AF3_1_201_a%5B78%5D.jpeg)
3" x 15"
Tufa casting in bronze
Artist Statement:
My artwork is entitled “Is it Despair, or is it Emerging Hope?” It is a bolo tie measuring 3 inches wide by 15 inches long. I carved the original design into a tufa stone, then I poured molten bronze into the carving, which formed a new solid piece that would be the slide of the bolo tie. The slide has a cross in the middle with blossoming leaves extending from the sides of the cross. Holes are also present throughout the piece, which formed during the bronze pour onto the tufa stone. The holes make the piece look broken and damaged. However, because of the leaves in the design and the cross in the middle, the piece does show contrasting features that symbolize hope and faith, which make the holes look like a facade of hopelessness. Overall, the piece is meant to represent perceived failure and underlying hope.
![Artist Headshot[78].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/721828_e657abed2d7f43948321bdd4b02c9cbc~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_308,h_385,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Artist%20Headshot%5B78%5D.png)
About the Artist
Seraphina Sorensen is a jewelry artist from the Yavapai Apache Nation in Arizona and currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She works with brass and metal, and most of her artistic inspiration draws from the Waldorf curriculum of her pre-college education which would typically glorify Medieval, Celtic, and Ancient Antiquity aesthetics. Her works also employ a Southwestern aesthetic due to growing up in Arizona. Seraphina is currently attending the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), pursuing a BFA in studio arts with an emphasis in Jewelry Making. She has received scholarships from the American Indian College Fund and has participated in shows such as the IAIA Fall Powwow of 2023 and the IAIA Holiday Art Market of 2023. Although still an aspiring artist, Seraphina hopes to continue to flesh out her art style while pursuing her education at IAIA.