Phyllis Sanfiorenzo

Artist Statement

Phyllis Sanfiorenzo is a Painter and Sculptor, born and raised in Spanish Harlem, N.Y. Phyllis is inspired by her mother, Puerto Rican artist Ivonne Salaberrios.
After studying at the high school of Art & Design and Fashion Institute of Technology, she married and raised two children. During this time she designed and freelanced art.
Phyllis studied at The New School, SVA, New York Studio School and ASL of New York. She works in magical realism and representational narrative form in both painting and sculpture. Phyllis has designed illustrations for theater companies, nonprofits, and her public monumental sculpture, Atabey?s Land Haven on display at Riverside Park South, N.Y.C in 2014-15. In 2020 her graphic novel art and story was selected in the Anthology ?This Quarantine Life?, by The Art Students League. Recently, Phyllis published her own cartoon sculpture and animation exhibit ?LUC?A? and has just completed a LMCC studio residency.
?I often incorporate plants, animals and figurative language in my work. Initiating ideas that work towards social justice is my goal. Cross training is what keeps me motivated; in the study of oils, watercolors, sculpture and printmaking, as it informs my strengths and weaknesses. Often I view the medium as the main instrument of which aesthetic best serves the result. To put forth an idea with beauty that can spark interest is what drives my processes. I ask myself, can this spur critical thinking? Can it catapult change? Does it tell a story??
~Phyllis Sanfiorenzo