[Interview] Exploring Saya Woolfalk’s Imaginative Universe With Samsung Art Store

[Samsung Newsroom]

The Samsung Art Store continues to captivate the hearts of art enthusiasts worldwide — transforming living spaces into galleries with an extensive collection of artwork and photographs. Recently, New York-based artist Saya Woolfalk has garnered significant attention for her captivating and otherworldly creations.

 

Her unique artwork has resonated deeply with audiences, quickly making her one of the most beloved artists on the platform since March 2023. Samsung Newsroom sat down with Saya to explore her fascinating artistic universe and discuss how partnering with the Samsung Art Store has broadened access to her art.

 

Saya Woolfalk is a New York-based artist who masterfully blends science fiction and fantasy to reshape our understanding of reality. Her art takes the form of vibrant sculptures, installations and digital works — celebrating the fusion of different races and cultures.

 

▲ Saya Woolfalk

 

 

Origins of Imagination: Saya Woolfalk’s Artistic Journey and Background

Q: Please give a brief introduction about yourself as an artist. How has your background inspired your art?

 

I’ve been working as a professional artist for around 20 years, but my journey as an artist began during my childhood. Growing up in New York and spending summers with my grandmother in Gifu, Japan, exposed me to a rich multicultural environment that influenced me significantly. When I began to make art in college, I pulled from this experience and found inspiration for my work. My family in Japan owned a textile company, and my grandmother taught me how to sew. As a result, most of my early work was in textiles. Looking back on those formative years, I now see most of my work as a form of quilt or textile collage — inspired by the time I spent creating with my maternal grandmother.

 

Within the realm of my artistic endeavors, I focus on creating worlds where diverse cultural elements collide, clash and mingle. We live in a multicultural world where people from various backgrounds cohabitate on a single planet. I strive to produce art that explores this complicated experience.

 

Like most artists working in speculative fiction, my work is more centered on hybridity in the present than the future.

 

 

Q: What is your approach to the creative process? How do you challenge yourself to venture into new and unfamiliar territories with your creations?

 

I start with drawing and painting when beginning a new piece. Then, I move on to digital rendering. My artistic process is fluid, as I’m constantly flowing between the analog and digital worlds. Amidst this dynamic interplay, my digital renderings are essentially speculative spaces where I imagine something and then build it.

 

With every new project, I love to explore unfamiliar territories. Having the ability and autonomy to experiment and try new things is one of the best and most fulfilling aspects of being an artist. Recently, I have been projecting video on glass — which has been quite different from other mediums I’ve used in the past.

 

▲ “Starship 1,” 2022

 

 

Bringing Art Home With Samsung Art Store

Q: You have been partnering with the Samsung Art Store since March 2023 in honor of Women’s History Month. What was that experience like?

 

Being featured in the Samsung Art Store for Women’s History Month was exhilarating, fulfilling and incredibly rewarding. I received many congratulatory messages from friends, adding to the joy of the moment.

 

Thanks to The Frame and Art Store, I am able to provide unparalleled accessibility to my art. This innovative technology benefits art enthusiasts and artists alike by opening a window to a world of art that may have been difficult to reach through traditional museums or art galleries. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to broaden my audience globally and reach more consumers in their homes.

 

▲ “Sassafrass,” 2021

 

 

Q: How did you select the works that are currently displayed in the Art Store? Can you recommend some of your favorite pieces to The Frame users?

 

Growing up in an increasingly digital world full of technological advancements, I have always embraced technology as an integral part of my artistic journey and an innovative way to express myself. When considering which pieces to display, I carefully choose those that would be most visually appealing on a digital screen. I worked with curator Daria Brit Greene and we selected artwork that would appeal to The Frame’s vibrant and life-like screen.

 

While it was challenging to pick my favorites, the first piece I recommend would undoubtedly be “Daydreams of Paper Animals.” This particular artwork is a digital collage I made for a large mural at a public school in the Queens neighborhood of New York City. We printed it on tile and added hand-built details that the students could touch! Making public art is very different from making work for museums — in a way, the primary audience is the people who will interact with the pieces every day. So, I tried to get into the mindset of the kids, think about what they care about and then amplify those ideas. Imagination, or the ability to problem-solve complicated situations through creativity, is incredibly important. This artwork encourages the children to tap into that imaginative potential and inspires them to daydream when they interact with the mural every day.

 

▲ “Daydreams of Paper Animals,” 2017

 

The second piece would be the “Encyclopedia of Cloud Divination,” a captivating digital collage that was made into limited-edition prints. These pieces were the beginning of a process I now use quite often in my work. I combined traditional print methods with digital print processes to create a unique composite of the two worlds. Animations and posters were made from this piece, making my artwork more accessible to the general public.

 

▲ “Encyclopedia of Cloud Divination (Plate 1),” 2018

 

▲ “Encyclopedia of Cloud Divination (Plate 2),” 2018

 

 

Looking to the Future

Q: As an artist who blends elements of technology into art, how has your use of technology evolved throughout the course of your career? What do you think the future will look like?

 

Throughout my artistic journey, technology has been an indispensable tool — from software like Photoshop to AR and VR for immersive video installations. I don’t have a definitive answer as to what the future of art will look like because I believe it will depend on how each artist integrates technology within their pieces. However, I do like the idea that art can be made more accessible through technology, just like how Samsung is doing.

 

 

Q: Can you tell us about any upcoming projects?

 

I am excited to announce a solo survey showcasing 20 years of my artwork at the Museum of Art and Design in New York in 2025! Please stay tuned for this exclusive exhibition.

 

Saya Woolfalk’s artwork will be featured in the November collection, “FALL, ABSTRACTED” on the Samsung Art Store.

 

Visit the Samsung Art Store in The Frame to see more of Saya’s incredible masterpieces.

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