My work seeks to question the socially constructed gender role of those who identify as women and its historical evolution over time in American society. I draw inspiration from advertising, prescriptive literature and Americana, utilizing everyday objects that symbolize invisible labor as they relate to the domestic realm. My choice to primarily use porcelain is intended to conceptually elevate objects that would otherwise be viewed as ordinary.

My research investigates post World War II culture and its subsequent influence on the dynamic of the domestic realm during a time when more women were entering the workforce and taking on the dual roles of workingwomen and caretakers of the home. The objects I employ reference popular symbols of American culture that continue to resonate today.

My ongoing body of work, Heirloom, investigates everyday objects and specific foods in relation to cultural identity; speaking to the ways in which familial traditions evolve and are often lost through the passage of time. Through recontextualizing these objects, my intention is to facilitate a meaningful dialogue related to the culture of which they are a part. This act of storytelling is inherent to the process of sharing memory, tradition and loss.


contact: sarah.tancred@gmail.com