Leap of Faith
Fearless
Progression of Four
Tanya Ragir
Artist Statement
Tanya Ragir’s sculpture speaks in the language of the feminine. Her most recent body of work — The Warrior Series — explores internal and external barriers, struggle, loss, risk and trust. Parallel bodies of work, developed over the last three decades, deconstruct the body to go beyond the limitations of figure-as-nude. By framing details of the figure and shifting the scale, Tanya transports recognizable aspects of the female form into a more abstract space, often conjuring natural landforms or symbolic shapes. Tanya sculpts in clay. Pieces are fired or cast in bronze, aluminum, stainless steel and polyester resin. Sizes range from inches to monumental.
Tanya was born in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1976 with a BA in Art and Dance. Public reviews and media include: Mannequin (feature film); Emmy-awarded ""Two on the Town"" magazine-style TV show; CBS Network’s ""Dan Rather""; Sculpture Review magazine; and Smithsonian Magazine. Her work has received numerous awards and has been featured in film and television productions and museums. Her collections and public commissions include: ""Artisan Walk"", City of Brea, CA; Rose Museum at Brandeis University; Columbia College of Dance; Total Art Museum, Seoul, Korea; Cultural Philosophic Center, Stockholm, Sweden; Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation; Cerro Coso College and Los Angeles County Museum of Art.