Theresa Knight McFadden

About the Artist

 BIOGRAPHY OF THERESA KNIGHT MCFADDEN   Theresa Knight McFadden is a mixed media sculptor whose narrative and expressive figurative work relies heavily on clay, wood and found objects. She also creates paintings, prints and collages.  She has shown her work in many venues in the United States including the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and galleries in Washington, New Orleans, Santa Fe and many other cities.  She has also exhibited in Bejing, China and in Seoul, South Korea.  Theresa was born and has spent most of her life in the Washington, DC area. After retiring from teaching art in 2011 she established a studio in Cambidge, MD on the grounds of  the home she and her husband share there. She frequently shows her work in Cambridge as well.       Theresa Knight McFadden holds a bachelor’s degree from George Mason University and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Maryland in College Park.  She is Professor Emerita of Art at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale.

Artist's Statement

ARTIST’S STATEMENT In my work I use the human figure with all its expressive possibilities to explore elements of our humanity. The work is usually narrative and the figures are based on people I know or have heard about or characters I have invented. Often I include allusions to art history, mythology, or my own personal history in the works. I use clay and other mixed media such as wood, collage, oil paint, and found objects in my sculptural work, and paint, heavily applied and often mixed with collage in my 2-D work. I aim to use texturally rich and expressive materials that allow me to communicate my feelings about my subject. My artwork is often colorful and exuberant too and addresses contemporary concerns such as personal power, sexual politics, fear and loss.