Judy Onofrio

Judy Onofrio has a penchant for hunting down the essence of twentieth century popular culture in the form of tin, ceramic and glass functional ware and curios. Her tireless sweep of countless yard sales and flea markets have yielded an inventory of treasures that serve as an inspiration and ultimately become, in a variety of forms, the flesh and guts of her sculpture. Besides combing the countryside for objects du jour, she has amassed a cache of extraordinary tiles, beads and sundry filigree. All of this - in concert with finely carved and painted figures, portraits and other creatures - raises the curtain on a host of characters in settings reserved for a sculptural theater of the absurd.

Judy Onofrio has received many prestigious grants and awards including Bush Foundation, McKnight Foundation and Minnesota State Arts Board fellowships. Her solo and group exhibitions include shows in every corner of the country with these selected highlights: Judyland at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Laumeier Sculpture Park and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri; SOFA in Chicago, Illinois; Beadz! New Work by Contemporary Artists, American Craft Museum, New York City. Much has been written about her and her work in such journals as American Craft, Ceramic Art Monthly and Fiberarts. Her work has been collected widely by museums and private collections and resides in the Cooper Hewitt, New York City; Decorative Arts Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas and Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts.


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