Juli Kirk

Artist Statement

I am an expressionistic figurative sculptor and painter working in oils, acrylic, clay and mixed media. My practice centers on the human figure as a vehicle for exploring emotion, vulnerability, and connection. In a time when division and disconnection often overshadow empathy, my work seeks to affirm the importance of recognizing one another’s shared humanity.

Each finished piece is intended to convey an unspoken emotional presence. Rather than telling a specific narrative, my figures invite viewers to project their own experiences and feelings, creating moments of reflection and recognition. Through gesture, surface, and form, I aim to evoke emotions that feel both deeply personal and universally human.

My sculptures are created primarily from stoneware and earthenware clay and are finished with a range of slips, glazes, stains, oxides, oils, and waxes. These layered surfaces carry traces of process and time, emphasizing imperfection and the physicality of the hand-built form. The tactile qualities of clay allow me to work intuitively, responding to the figure as it evolves.

In my paintings, I use oil and acrylic paints, cold wax, collage, pastels, and a variety of mark-making tools. Layering and reworking the surface mirrors the complexity of emotional experience, allowing images to emerge gradually through accumulation and erasure. Across both sculpture and painting, my work reflects an ongoing exploration of emotional resonance, human presence, and our shared capacity for empathy.
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