Artist's Statement

My name is Grace Madonna (they/them). I’m a multimedia artist who primarily creates using photography, but I’m also a passionate sewist, painter, illustrator, writer, and mixed media sculptor. I often blend these mediums as a means of accessing the ideal forms of expression from each to realize my desired outcome. My inspiration primarily draws from my personal experiences with mental health struggles, painful interpersonal relationships, a complicated relationship with gender, social expectations, the female body, the oppressive nature of capitalism, chronic illness and disability, and being one of the odd ones out. 

I'm also an aspiring psychedelic-assisted trauma therapist. The intersection of my artistic identity and interest in psychology define the vast majority of my life and are inseparable through my creative process and resulting works.

My overarching goals with my art always involve creating for the sake of bringing a vision to life, however deep the meaning might be, but they're also to channel my emotions through healthy outlets that leave me feeling proud on the other side of pain and to increase awareness around many of these struggles that extend far past my personal experiences. I hope to help others who share aspects of my experiences feel seen while simultaneously giving them a tangible creation to share with others in their lives that they can use to say, “This. This is what I go through. This is how it feels.” So many of these experiences can feel lonely in a way that is soul-crushing. I’ve often found myself alone with only my art to comfort me through suffering and it has saved me time and time again. If I can extend that hand to others, I always will.