Bio
Makayla Carlson is an interdisciplinary conceptual artist from Ogden, IA. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art and Psychology from Grand View University in Des Moines, IA. Makayla works amongst a few mediums, but primarily in mixed media, paintings, fiber art, and sculptures. Her body of work revolves around a symbolic connection between humans and nature. Driven by color, emotion, and experiences in the natural world, her work explores how humans and nature relate to each other.
Makayla has exhibited her work in various places including the Polk County Heritage Gallery in Des Moines, IA, The Octagon Center for Arts in Ames, IA, The Barnum Factory in Des Moines, IA, Grand View University in Des Moines, IA, the Anniversary Celebration of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines, the Art Walk in Ames, IA, the Artist of the Month Exhibition at Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, IA.
Artist Statement
“My work revolves around experiences that are shared between humans and nature. Examples of these experiences include growth, migration, stagnation, decay, relationships, and so forth. In my work, I depict these experiences through varying mediums that are unique to each concept such as painting, sculpture, fiber art, mixed media, and installation work. In each medium, I juxtapose humans and nature with that common experience in mind.
For work that uses materials found in nature, I always use what is permittable to gather on the ground, what is detached or dead, and what is going to be thrown away or discarded. It is important to my work to express my own symbiotic relationship with nature by taking only what it gives me, never taking directly from the living plants, trees, and shrubs unless I personally have grown them myself. I see this relationship as symbiotic and paying homage to nature because nature supplies some of my materials and I create art about nature using those materials.”