Anna Wagner is a ceramic artist from Wichita, Kansas. Her illustrated sculptures spotlight the effects of medications prescribed to treat ADD/ADHD. Inspired by cartoons, she creates dynamic objects from stoneware that ‘vibrate and hum with potential energy’ to simulate the fragmentation of being torn in multiple directions at once.
Wagner earned her BFA from The University of Central Arkansas during the height of the pandemic. She was a featured Emerging Artist in Ceramics Monthly last May. She has exhibited her work on a national level and been interviewed for The ADHD Podcast and Spotlight on ESPN. Her high-level creative profile shows how critical it is for artists dealing with ADD/ADHD to share their stories and artwork with others.
My work interprets the effects of taking Adderall and stems from the perspective of someone dealing with ADD/ADHD. The objects are referential of utilitarian forms to imply the struggle with medications that restrain appetite. The loose and colorful shapes contrast against the monochrome realism of the portraits. Inspired by comic books and cartoons, the translation results in bright colorful objects that seem to vibrate and hum with potential energy. Some of the forms are from pieced together shapes sometimes making no sense as separate parts but finding their place as additions to my work. This can be said for anyone with invisible mental disabilities, finding their place and support in a community with similar challenges.
Wagner’s edgy but playful sculptures combine pulsating colors with gestures and words, and images of faces and pills. Her recent body of work promotes “a safe space for individuals to share their stories, experiences, and support around topics of invisible ‘mental’ illnesses.” She bases each piece on “embarrassing or uncomfortable moments in hopes of finding the humor of it all.”
Wagner was stunned to be rejected from a residency on the grounds that her work wasn’t ‘welcoming’ enough and the faces on her pieces felt ‘disturbed and sad,’ but she views it as another example of the lack of understanding of this serious and prevalent issue. As she articulates the experience of coping with the effects of ADD/ADHD, Wagner hopes to inspire other individuals grappling with similar challenges while expressing her singular creative voice.
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Anna Wagner — Artist Statement
My work interprets the effects of taking Adderall and stems from the perspective of someone dealing with ADD/ADHD. The objects are referential of utilitarian forms to imply the struggle with medications that restrain appetite. The loose and colorful shapes contrast against the monochrome realism of the portraits. Inspired by comic books and cartoons, the translation results in bright colorful objects that seem to vibrate and hum with potential energy.
Some of the forms are from pieced together shapes sometimes making no sense as separate parts but finding their place as additions to my work. This can be said for anyone with invisible mental disabilities, finding their place and support in a community with similar challenges. If the vessels are used in a utilitarian sense, then the discussion of the loss of appetite and other effects of Adderall would be disrupted. The work is created for individuals who need a voice, filling the empty forms with stories, each one echoing my own.
Anna Wagner – Grant Submission Work
Stoneware, glaze, colored underglaze, acrylic, wire
H: 24 x L: 10 x W: 13 inches
Stoneware, colored underglaze slip, glaze
H: 3 x L:10 1/2 x W: 11 1/2 inches
Stoneware, colored underglaze slip, glaze
H: 9 x L: 8 x W: 7 1/2 inches
Stoneware, colored underglaze slip, glaze
H: 5 x L: 12 x W: 11 inches
Stoneware, colored underglaze slip, glaze
H: 9 x L: 8 x W: 8 inches
Anna Wagner – Artist Bio
Anna Wagner is a ceramic artist from Wichita, Kansas, who graduated in 2020 with a BFA from The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) with an emphasis in Ceramics. She received several art scholarships through her undergrad and was an active member of a few different Fine Art clubs on campus. Anna has exhibited nationally in organizations such as the Foundry Art Center, Craven Arts Center, Southern Miss Ceramics National, and more other venues. Her work has been published in Ceramics Monthly’s 2021 Emerging Artist for the May edition. As a result of Anna’s body of work, she was interviewed for The ADHD Podcast, Spotlight on ESPN, UCA’s Students For The Arts, and UCA’s Vortex Podcast.
Anna Wagner on the Web And Social Media
Here’s where to find out more about Anna on the web and social media:
About the Artist of the Day Series
All artworks have been published with permission of the artist. Our "Artist of the Day" series is a regular feature highlighting artworks from the 100's of grant applications we receive. The "Not Real Art Grant" is an annual award designed to empower the careers of contemporary artists, and this is one way we honor all entries we receive. Find out more about the grant program here.