aj fosik

AJ Fosik grew up in South East Michigan and currently lives in Philadelphia, PA. Using wood and found materials, he creates figural, eclectic and intricately designed three-dimensional pieces. Fosik’s animal subjects and anthropomorphized beings are built using a complex process in which each form is carefully handcrafted by arranging hundreds of pieces of individually cut and varnished wood, which the artist paints in vibrant colors and patterns. Sharp teeth, claws, and eyes emerge once the creatures are completed—either constructed as freestanding forms or wall-mounted pieces, referencing modern taxidermy practices. Evocative of American Folk Art, the work is often inspired by subversive cultural influences that shift complacency. He received a BFA in Illustration from Parsons School of Design in New York.

“I think there’s probably less of a search for an American identity in my work although that’s is sort of inescapable for me but I think the sort of questions I’m wrestling with now are more about the random, chaotic and arbitrary nature of existence. I’ve been using a lot less recognizable iconography as well and I think right now the way my imagery functions is much more along the lines of a totem or fetish although with a different aim. As far as showing overseas it’s interesting that the more personal my work has become the more there seems to be a universal shared understanding.” {interview via fecal face}