Star Trauth

American

Biography

Star Trauth is an award-winning artist, activist, and writer. She received her degree in Fine Art from Mt. St. Joseph University in Ohio, USA, and continues to study in her field. Her practice aims to visually engage the audience with a desire for tactile interaction. She endeavors to create new art mediums with environmentalism in mind, utilizing waste paper and plastic, and transforming them into flat, pliable textiles. Star hand-molds and flame-sculpts each piece, which are miniature original works in their own right, and then combines them into free-standing sculptures, assemblages, or wall hangings. While she has developed her own medium, Trauth also employs traditional media to achieve her vision. Her work draws heavy inspiration from music, her adventurous life experiences, and her ongoing battle with cancer, which has led her to experiment with new media as she regains her strength. Curated into over 100 exhibitions, including 22 museums in the last 8 years, Trauth's selected solo exhibitions include 'Art Deco Weekend' at Life is Art in Miami, Florida (2015); 'Sublimate: Totems, Tokens, and Lore' at Vargas Gallery in Pembroke Pines, Florida (2018); 'Star Trauth: A Solo Show' at Worldwide Art Movement Gallery in Kochi, India (2020). Her selected group exhibitions include 'Stamp IV' at Conrad Meier Museum, Argentina (2022); 'Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse' at The CAMP Gallery in Miami, Florida, USA (2022); 'Beyond Borders' at Chang Kil Hwan Museum in Gangneung, South Korea (2021); 'Touch' at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, Illinois (2020); 'Atomic Peace' at Haegeumgang Theme Museum in Geoje, South Korea; 'Artist Statement 4 & 5' at Czong Institute for Contemporary Art Museum in Gimpo, Korea (2019, 2020); and '20th International Competition Incheon Metropolitan City Art Exhibition' at National Arts Association Incheon Metropolitan City Branch in Incheon, South Korea (2019). Trauth has authored two books: 'One to Five' (Lulu Press, ISBN 978-0359402670, 2019) and 'Sublimate: Tapestry and Lore' (Lulu Press, ISBN 978-1387803897, 2018), and has been featured in prestigious publications including 'Dada Centennial: Day of the Dead' by Cecil Touchon (ISBN 978-1365877308), 'Artist Statement 5' by CICA Press (ASIN B08879JT5C), and 'Contrastes de Forma' by Rodrigo Franzão (ISBN 978-65-001-6078-9, 2020).

Artist Statement

"My work explores the limits of my materials before they burn to nothing. It begins as waste converted into fiber. I breathe life into it once more, just to test its elasticity. Literally. I hand-mold and fire-sculpt each component, with each one becoming a work of art in its own right. I assemble them into mounted or freestanding low-relief sculptures. I'm taking waste created by humanity and bending it to my will, giving back something intriguing and beautiful. As a painter by training, my focus lies in layering woven screens to create vibrating fields of color. I am fascinated by the ever-shifting movement of the wavy patterns, known as the moiré effect, and the visual blending of colors that occurs when looking through overlapping screens."
― Star Trauth