Shayna Strahm

From scribbling with crayons at the age of two to receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts at Kansas State University, art has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I’ve spent most of my academic journey learning as many different artistic techniques and mediums  as possible. Throughout my collegiate journey, art became my consolation and I’ve switched from a more naturalistic, technique-based approach to incorporating more abstract themes within my technical knowledge. I incorporate both the drawn element through painting and the graphic elements of relief block printing.  Oil, acrylic, monotypes, and relief prints are my current mediums of choice. 

My theme for my current body of work focuses on my evaluation of masculinity and how it presents itself within and outside of women.  As a woman, my perspective of masculinity comes from the inevitable moment in your life where you are faced with distinguishing your own set of beliefs and ideals. This idea is shown within my incorporation of organic linework meant to mimic the pattern of a fingerprint- the most candid representation of the human identity.  As I've more clearly defined my beliefs, I find that masculinity presents itself as hyper independence and the inability to be vulnerable with others. How masculinity presents itself outside of me is based solely on my own experiences with men.  The canine figures throughout my work represent that masculinity whether it is an internal or external source. The use of nude and idealized figures of women draped across the canvas as “objects of desire” reflect these ideas of opening myself up to being emotionally exposed while also contemplating how my identity can be so firmly rooted in my appearance.  

I am often inspired by the contemporary R&B music that I’ve connected with these deeply personal experiences. I gather concepts from lyrics that I find resonate with me or have direct associations with specific memories. While much of my current work is based on personal experience, I hope that the viewer relates in ways that connect to their own interpretation.  Personally I haven’t exhausted my time with this theme and I plan to continue experimenting with different ways of incorporating printmaking techniques with more customary mediums like painting.