Sabrina Weld (b. 1968) is an American artist living in New York's Hudson Valley.
Artist Statement
Long before my current series of large-scale ceramic sculptures, my work in figurative clay developed from an original interest and vocation in puppetry, exploring objects as actors and bringing life to the inanimate. Starting out as a professional puppeteer in the toy industry, and then receiving a BFA in ceramic sculpture from Alfred University, I moved on to working as a figure sculptor in NYC, building characters for both stage and animated display.
Currently, my primary mediums are low- and mid-fire stoneware and paperclay, with ceramic and non-ceramic finishes. I build thin-walled, loose hollow forms from coils and slabs, and leave many of the marks and evidence of handbuilding visible on purpose, as a record of the process.
I use images inspired by folk art, religious icons, mythology, and the natural world to explore the invisible architecture of human emotion and nonverbal communication. Fire represents motivation, and clouds represent our inner worlds. Images of protection, such as trees of life, apples of truth, all-seeing eyes, hearts, and hands, echo in quiet ways throughout my work. Whimsical characters and forms are often crackled, quirky, and imperfect, reflecting the complex nature of the actors. They are deeply rooted in the emotions, thoughts, and struggles surrounding building and sustaining confidence, will, and connection, and the importance of where we put our attention. Many of the stories are told through my personal lens of being a daughter and/or a mother, as a way to process past and current events and experiences.
Clay is a perfect medium for storytelling. It is versatile and limitless, and what the world is made of: water and earth. The opposite of the internet, clay is tangible and ancient, timeless and (when fired) permanent. Ceramics are often what remains when the rest of a culture has succumbed to entropy, a record that can be dug up thousands of years later to tell a history that might otherwise have been lost.
CV
Education
2007–08
The Art Students League of New York, Vytlacil Campus
Mixed-Media Sculpture, Grace Knowlton
1992
BFA, Ceramics and Mixed-Media Sculpture, Alfred University
Senior Advisor, Tony Hepburn
Solo Exhibitions
2026
In the Cloud
Sugar Maples Center for the Arts, Maplecrest, NY
2023
headSpace
Swartley Gallery, Dwight Englewood School, Englewood, NJ
Selected Exhibitions
2026
Please Elaborate
The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, MT
2026
Continuance
Volition Art @ Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
2025
In Hand II: Cup Show
The Mikhail Zakin Gallery, Art School at Old Church, Demarest, NJ
2019
Ink & Clay 44
Kellogg University Art Gallery, Pomona, CA
2019
16th Annual Ceramics Juried Open Exhibition
McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga, CA
Honorable Mention
2019
HeART of Orange County
Chemers Gallery, Tustin, CA
2018
HeART of Orange County
Chemers Gallery, Tustin, CA
Honorable Mention
2018
15th Annual Ceramics Juried Open Exhibition
McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga, CA
2017
Ink & Clay 43
Kellogg University Art Gallery, Pomona, CA
Teaching & Residencies
2026
Clay Handbuilding Instructor
Sugar Maples Center for the Arts, Maplecrest, NY
8-week course, mixed levels
1995–96
Artist in Residence & Teacher, Mask / Puppet / Drama
Young Artists Program, SUNY Purchase, Purchase, NY
Commercial & Collaborative Work
1996–2002
Sculptor, Spaeth Design
New York, NY
Created props, figures, and large walk-around costumes for an animated display company. Animated Christmas windows for Fifth Avenue and Chicago clients: Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Marshall Field's, Dayton Hudson, Bailey's Irish Cream, Navy Pier Chicago. Figure Charge, Lord & Taylor Fifth Avenue Windows, 1997.
1995–97
Puppet Builder / Prop Sculptor, Hudson Vagabond Puppets
Rockland County, NY
Built giant stage puppets and props for a touring puppet theater company.
1993–96
Director of Display, Native Art Trading Company
New York / New Jersey
Seasonal window display concepts and prop building across retail locations throughout New Jersey. All original props and sculptures created with recycled materials.
1985–99
Independent Puppetry Practice
New York City and New England
Building, performing, and assisting in puppetry workshops, festivals, and events, including the Jim Henson Festival (two years) and the 9th Street Theater Toy Theater Festival, NYC. Performed professionally at fairs, festivals, the NY Toy Show, and Home Shopping Network.