Art

Julia O’Bryan

B.A. with a focus in Sculpture

Open gallery

Breath (back), porcelain, cone 6 glaze
"Breath (back)," porcelain, cone 6 glaze

The time we are given is an elusive commodity. The passage of time is the one thing we all have in common and yet, not many of us stop to contemplate. We cannot change it. We all go through the same days, hours, and minutes, and yet we all spend them differently. We define our own time by the memories we create and our experiences. You are the only person that can decide how to use the time you are given and whether it has been a time well spent.

My work is inspired by my struggle with an autoimmune disease that has greatly altered my view on time and the way that I spend the time I have. When I was diagnosed at the age of ten, doctors told us it would be very surprising to survive past the first six months. The way I spent my time was completely changed. I could no longer breath well enough to do any of the things I had done before as my body tried to destroy itself. Much like the coral I use as a metaphor to represent the destruction throughout my lungs, as it is slowly being choked by the toxins around it as it continues to fight for survival in its environment, I am trying to survive when the odds are stacked against me. I hope that my work gives the sense of a beautiful life well lived. I hope that my work gives joy, hope, and support to others in a similar position.