Sarah Ellis grew up in Ohio with a love of collecting, craft, and questioning everything around her. After getting her BFA from the University of Akron in 2014, she knew that she wanted to continue her education as a maker. She received her MFA in Studio Art from the University of North Texas in May of 2018.

Sarah is currently located in Murray, KY, where she is an Adjunct Professor in Art & Design. She instructs a wide range of courses, including Lithography, Silkscreen, Introduction to Printmaking, Introduction to Sculpture, and Foundation Drawing. In addition to teaching, Sarah also serves as the Secretary on the Executive Board of Southern Graphics Council International. She maintains an active CV including national and international exhibitions, publications, curatorial work, and academic conference presentations.

Artist Statement
Why are some things more cherished than others? Individual items can stand for a single memory, a shared experience, or an ideal. A collection can speak of itself and develop an entirely new narrative when viewed as a whole. Each piece I make explores the importance of physical objects within the context of life; as points of inspiration or necessities of productivity and livelihood.

We set our own parameters for success and wellbeing. From a secular point of view, I still see basic unifying principles among human beings that bring us together. One of the most fascinating is our need for some sort of established order and how these systems can be found on micro and macro scales. Collections represent the visual principle of order. They’re accessible and familiar, yet still personalized even when fictitious.

The second principle we crave is one of the most powerful human emotions: humor. Laughing is a total release of inhibition. It allows you to feel joy, break tension, or recognize the complete malarky of a situation. Creating funny work is something of which I am distinctly proud.

Admittedly, everything I make is process-heavy and is totally unashamed to live on paper. Lithography, screenprint, relief, and observational drawing are my rituals. Certain objects such as thimbles, insects, and candy find their way into multiple works, often referring to my own childhood preoccupations. The specific subject matter is selected on a whim, either from an anecdote that someone has shared with me about a personal collection or through intriguing literary references.

Attraction and repulsion are ever-present as I ask myself what the roles of quality and quantity play in our world. As a whole, I hope to discover the link between the individual, the items, and our collective experience as human beings.