Sharon Robinson

About the Artist

Biography Sharon is a mixed media artist specializing in collage and assemblage.  Raised in New Jersey, she currently resides in Washington DC, after 33 years of residency between Boston, Los Angeles and Portland, OR. She earned a master’s degree in city planning from MIT, and worked in the transit and urban design field for over 20 years. Since 1999 she has been a full-time artist, muralist, teacher, and arts program contractor. As an artist she exhibits in Washington DC, as well as other east and west coast cities. Sharon teaches in the Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts Program, at The Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. and at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Hyattsville.  She served on the national board and  as Director of the DC store of SCRAP, a network of non-profit creative re-use centers. She is also a member of the Mt. Rainier, MD  Arts Commission.    

Artist's Statement

Artist Statement The primary inspiration for my art is creating a visual expression of the elements of life that connect us as human beings and illuminate the true self. I am most drawn to themes addressing cultural integration, how we define ourselves in relation to others, and biases that cause misunderstanding. I often use cultural motifs, symbols, text and related representations of ethnic, religious and racial identity. None of us can claim to be pure anything – we are only the latest version of millennia of mixing, matching, migrating and mingling. I layer materials both literally and figuratively, most often with metallic elements, to provide and depth and dimension and reflect light. This approach allows me to construct a visual interpretation of the richness of the fabric of life and my own version of timeless themes.