Dylan W.

untitled
Credit: Dylan W.Artist Bio

My upbringing was infused with many influences from the places I was lucky enough to have called home for short periods of time. I was born in Kentucky and stayed until I was a tot, before moving to New Zealand, followed by my first years in primary school in Belgium, before moving back to the states to spend many formative years in Iowa. I found my strength in adaptation through this experience, being able to form connections with my surroundings and the people who shaped it. After graduating high school, I attended Arizona State University, pursuing journalism and business, before deciding to complete my Bachelor’s in Studio Art at the University of Iowa in my hometown. I had an understanding of what art therapy was, and guided my experiences in the workforce toward the eventual pursuing of my Master’s degree. I spent a decade working with children, teaching mindfulness, art, and other curriculum in after school, camp, and school settings. I held many hourly positions to pay the bills and sustain a life of creative spark. In 2021, I knew it was time for my next steps toward self actualization, and applied to Lewis & Clark. Moving to Portland, OR and starting this journey of becoming a licensed art therapist has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I am currently an intern at a queer group practice, Pulse Wellness Cooperative. I will complete my graduate schooling in 2025 and hope to utilize my art therapy practice to continue to serve queer youth and adults.

Artist Statement

Process is a collaboration with the divine, part will and part magic. Acts of inspiration, for me, are stifled by a heavy hand. As with many things that hold importance in my life, I began shaping the experience with a ritual. Dripping wax on wax and letting it fall, delighting in the imperfection, and honing my focus on my intentions of channeling what queer spirituality means to me.

The sense of my own gentle touch on the cartography of my most expressive body parts mapped out a sense of presence that would carry through the process. Using wonder as my compass throughout this creative act is an embodiment of how I have been led and have guided my own experiences in life, more specifically on my path toward becoming an art therapist. My commitment to divination allows me to decide whether or not something is worth making into a concrete shape. I let my face, my hands, the passage of time dancing in a flame, inform my magic and this becomes the art of my life.

Artwork Description

Materials: Plaster, tin foil, acrylic paint, hot glue, wire, chime candles, pillar candle, wax from tealights.

This artwork contains the center piece of a face, cast in plaster with minimal detail, held in a neutral expression. Each piece of the sculpture that is made of plaster is painted one singular shade of ultramarine blue, as well as the pillar candle being painted the same shade. A sculptural depiction of a hand emerges from the bottom of the face in a horizontal direction, palm facing upward. There is a dripping candle standing upright on the palm, which extends upward to meet the line of the middle of the forehead of the face. On top of the face, another hand emerges from the center. This second hand is a plaster cast of the artist’s hand in a relaxed expression. The fingers are hollow, and there are black and grey chime candles stuck inside of each. The candle wicks face downward. Wax from the chime candles is shown dripping in a downward motion on the surface of the plaster face. The piece has wire backing, held by hot glue, as a means of getting the piece to hang from the wall.