ARTIST STATEMENT:

History, transformation, and the detritus of throwaway culture anchor much of my work, alongside a deep engagement with social and political injustice. Since the 2016 election, this latter focus has intensified as I’ve watched civil rights erode and social, economic, and political divides widen. As a person of Japanese descent, I am acutely aware of the consequences of racism—the same forces that once led to the incarceration of Japanese American citizens. These histories, both personal and collective, inform my concern and shape my current explorations of what it means to be Asian and/or biracial in the United States today.

My practice often merges painting with assemblage, incorporating objects and ephemera directly into the work. I’m drawn to the tactile presence these materials bring, and to the histories, memories, and cultural weight they introduce to painted or mixed-media surfaces. Transparency, projection, and shadow appear as well, extending the work into a more experiential, embodied space. I construct my own supports from found objects, wood, and molds in my workshop, allowing the physical structure of each piece to evolve organically with its conceptual intent.

In addition to these hybrid works, I create pure assemblage and sculpture across a range of media. Unconventional materials—refuse, packaging, resin—are central to my process. Their reuse becomes both a literal act of recycling and a metaphor for transformation, resilience, and reclamation.

I grew up surrounded by traditional Japanese woodblock prints and Pre-Columbian sculpture, influences that continue to shape my aesthetic sensibilities. Artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Rauschenberg, and Lee Bontecou have likewise informed my visual language. Through ongoing experimentation with materials and techniques, I strive to develop forms that speak directly to the histories and contemporary realities that compel my work.

Leah Knecht, 2025