Biography
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Carly Riegger is from Ann Arbor, Michigan where she took a strong interest in ceramics in high school. She went on to pursue a BFA in Studio Art, with a specialization in Ceramics at Bowling Green State University, which she completed in May of 2020. Carly assisted in running a studio called Ceramics Clayland in Gregory, Michigan during summers in college. In 2018, she traveled abroad to Florence, Italy and studied for a semester at Studio Arts International College. This experience greatly enhanced her artistic skills. During her time abroad, Carly was awarded Jules Maidoff Award for Fall 2018. It was then she decided to pursue her idea of ceramic dolls as her primary form of disability activism. To expand her knowledge of disability studies and advocacy when she joined D.R.E.A.M. Club at Bowling Green State University in 2019. D.R.E.A.M. stands for Disability Rights, Education, Advocacy, and Mentoring. There she participated in panels explaining and teaching others about disability, and even explaining her own in panel discussions on BGSU’s campus.
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Artist Statement
I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) after starting to feel pain in my body in 2012. Since then, the pain has been present in my body which debilitates my day to day life. The world’s awareness of disability, by itself, is minimal and it’s awareness of chronic illness is even less. From the daily comments I receive, people are in no hurry to learn. Every time I go out with a mobility aid, I get comments, like “What happened?” and “You gotta gimp?” Others are uncomfortable and confused and they are not afraid to question my disability. Many people do not think someone my age can use a cane or wheelchair, or even that someone can be an ambulatory mobility aid user.
In my artwork, I tell stories using the dolls to portray the feeling of chronic pain and invisibility. These micro-vignettes portray daily life scenes of the chronically ill. The objects placed along with the dolls hold as much importance to what it means to live with a disability. Red knots of thread stitch the ceramic to the fabric to force these different tensions in the body to coexist. The stitching relates to the stabbing pain and tightness of chronically ill bodies. The ceramic and fabric materials provide a in contrast, like the strong pain I feel and my fragile, soft body. The fabric patterns and colors help further the story of hiding my disability.
These dolls bring the conversation of chronic illness into focus. More importantly, the dolls are standing up to the ableism I, and others, face daily. I do not want to remain passive.
In my artwork, I tell stories using the dolls to portray the feeling of chronic pain and invisibility. These micro-vignettes portray daily life scenes of the chronically ill. The objects placed along with the dolls hold as much importance to what it means to live with a disability. Red knots of thread stitch the ceramic to the fabric to force these different tensions in the body to coexist. The stitching relates to the stabbing pain and tightness of chronically ill bodies. The ceramic and fabric materials provide a in contrast, like the strong pain I feel and my fragile, soft body. The fabric patterns and colors help further the story of hiding my disability.
These dolls bring the conversation of chronic illness into focus. More importantly, the dolls are standing up to the ableism I, and others, face daily. I do not want to remain passive.
Education
2020 Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
2018 Studio Arts College International (SACI), Florence, Italy
2018 Studio Arts College International (SACI), Florence, Italy
Exhibitions & Shows
2020 Representation Matters: I See Me Exhibition
Indiana University Kokomo, IUK Art Gallery,
Kokomo, Indiana.
2019 Acceptance and Attendance at Propel Ohio at
Bowling Green State University in Fall Semester,
Bowling Green, Ohio.
2018 Fall Semester Exhibition at Studio Arts College
International (SACI) in Florence, Italy.
2018 67th Annual Undergraduate Art Exhibition at
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green
Ohio
2018 The Millennial Show, Dayton, Ohio
2018 Featured Poetry in Bowling Green State University
Arts Village Zine, Bowling Green, Ohio
2017 66th Annual Undergraduate Art Exhibition at
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green,
Ohio
Indiana University Kokomo, IUK Art Gallery,
Kokomo, Indiana.
2019 Acceptance and Attendance at Propel Ohio at
Bowling Green State University in Fall Semester,
Bowling Green, Ohio.
2018 Fall Semester Exhibition at Studio Arts College
International (SACI) in Florence, Italy.
2018 67th Annual Undergraduate Art Exhibition at
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green
Ohio
2018 The Millennial Show, Dayton, Ohio
2018 Featured Poetry in Bowling Green State University
Arts Village Zine, Bowling Green, Ohio
2017 66th Annual Undergraduate Art Exhibition at
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green,
Ohio
Accomplishments
2019 Merit Award from the Toledo Arts
Commission
Commission
2018 Jules Maidoff Award for Best Student
Artwork in Fall Semester
2018 Honorable Mention in Painting Category at
the 67th Annual Undergraduate Art Exhibition
at Bowling Green State University, Bowling
Green, Ohio
2017 First place in the First Year Program
Category at the 66th Annual Undergraduate Art
Exhibition at Bowling Green State University,
Bowling Green, Ohio
2017 Freshman Bravo Talent Award from Bowling
Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
2016 Incoming Freshman Bravo Talent Award from
Bowling Green State University, Bowling
Green, Ohio
Artwork in Fall Semester
2018 Honorable Mention in Painting Category at
the 67th Annual Undergraduate Art Exhibition
at Bowling Green State University, Bowling
Green, Ohio
2017 First place in the First Year Program
Category at the 66th Annual Undergraduate Art
Exhibition at Bowling Green State University,
Bowling Green, Ohio
2017 Freshman Bravo Talent Award from Bowling
Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio
2016 Incoming Freshman Bravo Talent Award from
Bowling Green State University, Bowling
Green, Ohio
Download CV
| carly_riegger_cv.docx |
