Chris Barraza

Chris Barraza was born in Huntsville, Alabama and works to create memoirs through poetry. He believes that life is more like a collection of poems -- moments that draw out constellations -- than a story. These poems serve as inspiration for his sculpture, which serves as an extension of the poem into a physical object. Thus, they act as markers of life.

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He is also a sculptor, primarily working with steel, concrete, and cast metals. Through his work, he examines themes of human connection, tenderness, and everyday intimacy with the aim of making viewers question the little moments that entangle them with each other. His use of abstracted brutalist forms is both inspired by and a critique of the changing world around him. His understanding of the human body allows him to look into and past it for universal truths of connection.

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He is currently attending Auburn University where he is majoring in Exercise Science, Pre-Occupational Therapy, and minoring in Studio Art and Business. He will then be attending the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he will receive his doctorate in occupational therapy.