Artist's Statement

Siena Gillann Porta

The imagery in my artwork is predominately theme-driven. Zen practice has shaped and informed my work for most of my adult life. More recently the art of Shukokai Karate has become a part of this narrative. As a breast cancer survivor since 2010, karate images have figured prominently in my body of work. I became a practitioner myself, earning a Kimura Shukokai Karate black belt in 2016 (Sho Dan) and a second degree BB, NeeDan in 2021.

The mechanics of anatomy and bodies in motion has always been a passionate interest of mine. Dancing and performing in a mime and ballet troupe and studying at The Martha Graham School in New York  as a teenager developed my appreciation for the human body as an instrument of expression. In graduate school I was fortunate to be able to draw from cadavers at Hershey Medical School through a grant from a Pennsylvania Arts Council which advanced my academic understanding of body mechanics as an artist.

Utilizing contemporary media in my professional fine arts creation has become  an essential part of my vision.  Access to new materials and technology has been one of the most rewarding experiences of working as a Scenic Artist. Drawing, painting and sculptural processes grounded in traditional methodologies are fundamental to both my personal art-work and to my tenure as a professional scenic artist (USA829).

I always fall in love with my newest work and hope that it communicates powerfully to others. At its best I find creating artwork is discovery, sometimes frustration and always a place where linear time stops.

SGP 2023