Julia Stanger

Artist Statement:

For a large part of my life my identity and narrative was tied to my career, and eventually it shifted into my role as a mother.  Unlike in other facets of life there is no tangible way to measure success in motherhood. Somewhere along the line I let society influence me to believe that “just” being a mother was less than.  That being female was less than. 

For years this was reflected in my creative journey. I mentally reprimanded myself for painting flowers or creating anything that screamed “feminine” and considered it something to avoid if I wanted to be taken seriously as an artist and to avoid the art gender gap.  “When men sign a work of art, it increases in value compared to a painting that isn't signed. But when a woman signs a work of art, it decreases in value.” (Forbes)

Meanwhile on my journey to express myself I was denying literally the most fundamental part of myself- my X chromosome!

With these pieces I finally gave myself permission to release all of that female energy, unapologetically. Embracing the metamorphosis that becoming a mother had made me stronger, smarter and more empathetic.  Drawing on parallels between the resilience of nature and the human experience; how you can cut a branch off and a more lush and stronger one will grow back in its place. That struggle can define and mold us into something better.

This mental breakthrough aligned with creating my first pieces in porcelain, which is also symbolic, as it is often considered the most challenging clay to work with.  There is a contradiction between the absolutely fragile state these delicate pieces are in during the creation process but once fired they have the permanence of millennia!

These pieces are the beginning of the story I own, as I live more authentically and hope to pass on a legacy of positive female energy.

Artist Bio:

Julia Stanger picked up scissors around the age of 5 and promptly began her creative journey by cutting doll dresses out of the middle of any fabric her mom had. She resides in Dallas but developed her sense of color and pattern over her 15 year career as a fashion designer in NYC. Her current art works are based in a variety of mixed media and she refuses to not explore every creative opportunity on this journey to a create full expression of her untarnished artistic voice.

In addition to the philanthropic artwork she has done for Dallas that has raised over $100k for local nonprofits, she recently finished a commission for the lobby of the historic Maple Terrace luxury rental building in Uptown Dallas.