Julia Phillips

Inspired by tools and other functional objects, the sculptures of Julia Phillips (born 1985 in Hamburg, lives and works in the USA) are metaphors for social and psychological experiences. These metaphors are both mechanical and bodily, and the experiences they describe typically focus on power relations between individuals or between an individual and an institution. Her sculptures often feature ceramic elements cast from her own body. Their glazed finishes replicate a range of flesh tones in layered colors, which Phillips achieves by firing them multiple times. Many of the sculptures include recurring elements, such as handles or wing nuts, that encourage the viewer to envision direct physical engagement with the work. The human body is also a principal subject of her drawings, prints, and videos. "I think of the body as a symbol to make psychological, social, and emotional experiences and relations visually accessible," she has said. "Sometimes the body can help us to identify with experiences that are not our own."