Artist's Statement

Amber Vanhatala Stene, M.F.A.

My work explores the social dynamics of exclusion and inclusion — with specific focus on the search for acceptance. I view this search as an ongoing negotiation of our individual standing in society.

While my work is founded in reflections on personal experiences, it goes beyond the personal. The issues surrounding the search for acceptance are universal.

I'm addressing that negotiation through works located in the space between believability and improbability. I achieve this sense of paradox by combining implausible elements, utilizing unlikely scale, and combining rendering modes that emphasize ideas.

The medium of drawing provides the most effective parallel to the ever-changing nature of relationships in society. To communicate societal displacement, I use figurative subjects placed in situations that reference the feeling of disconnection.

I'm interested in leading the viewer to a place of uncertainty or tension — mirroring life. My intent is to create work that engages the viewer, provokes a response, interrogates perceptions, and questions logic. I want to give no easy answers.

Ultimately, I strive to create work that provokes an examination of the process of fitting into society.