http://juliahaftcandell.com
IG @haftcandell

Artist Statement
 In 2017 I created the infinite: Glossary of Terms and Symbols, an ongoing illustrated guide that describes the personal and political symbolism for each recurring form in my work. The glossary entries— such as knots, braids, combs and arches— communicate an ideology focused on movement, the body and disrupting binaries. The shapes develop intuitively: I sketch imagery directly from my unconscious; when a specific form recurs I take note, develop a definition, and make a sculpture. I use clay, which is fluid and moldable in its wet state, but fires to a hard permanence, creating lasting monuments for each concept. The sculpture and flag on display for Drive-By-Art display the Interlocking form, a shape that resembles holding hands. Interlocking symbolizes a search for empathy, touch and connection, and seems especially significant in this time of the pandemic.

Biography
Julia Haft-Candell is a Los Angeles-based artist working in ceramic sculpture. After receiving her BA in Studio Art and International Relations from University of California Davis, followed by an MFA from California State University Long Beach, Haft-Candell attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 2016. She has been awarded grants from Center for Cultural Innovation, Los Angeles; The Hoff Foundation, Huntington Beach, California; and most recently the California Community Foundation Fellowship in 2019. The artist’s solo and two-person exhibitions include Julia Haft-Candell / Suzan Frecon (2019) and Julia Haft-Candell: the infinite (2017) at Parrasch Heijnen Gallery; Double Knot (2016) at Ochi Projects, Los Angeles; Farewell Ruins (2013) at  Inman Gallery, Houston; and Terrains (2013) and Julia Haft-Candell at ACME (2011) at ACME, Los Angeles. Recent group shows include Melting Point (2018) at the Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles and Brightsiders (2017) at Verge Center for the Arts, Sacramento, among others.