User:WikiEditAnon/Annie Evelyn

Annie Evelyn is an artist and furniture maker who is known for her unique sculptural chairs, seating, and objects that act as decorative extensions of the body. She utilizes unexpected materials to upholster the surfaces of her furniture, such as artificial flowers, ceramic tile, cement, graphite, and metal. Evelyn resides in Penland, North Carolina.

Education
Evelyn received her BFA (1999) and MFA (2007) in furniture design from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, Rhode Island.

Squishy Chairs
Evelyn's early work was a series of more traditional wood chairs with geometric patterned seats made from seemingly hard materials. Informally known as the "Squishy" chairs, the seat of the chair was flexible, backed with foam like upholstery. A number of these pieces were shown and received attention at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. Many of the chair seats were created in collaboration with other artists.

Static Adornment
Breaking away from traditional furniture forms, Evelyn created a series of work titled Static Adornment, a series of wall mounted structures decorated with ornamented materials such as fake roses, metal scales, and beads. These structures would appear as extensions of the body when people stand in a particular position in front of the artworks. In discussing her intention behind her work, Evelyn states “Joy, laughter, and the unexpected have always been at the heart of my work,” in an interview with the American Craft Council.

Multiple Impressions
in 2017, Evelyn had a solo show of work titled Multiple Impressions at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. The shows curator, Kathryn Hall discusses Evelyn's work stating, "While her ingenuity and attention to detail shine through her pieces, her furniture is not meant to be appreciated as delicate eye candy, but rather it begs to be sat upon and enjoyed.”

In 2019, Evelyn's work was one of 43 woodworkers included in the exhibition titled Making a Seat at the Table: Women Transform Woodworking at the The Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia.

Table Fights
Between 2008-2012, Evelyn, in collaboration with Shaun Bullens, organized a number of furniture performance public events in which artist built robotic, automated, and remote controlled tables were set to fight in a ring in front of a live audience. Events were held in New York, Boston, and Providence, Rhode Island.

Beasts of the Southern Wild
Evelyn received Associate Producer credit for her work on the 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild filmed in Louisiana. She worked in casting and in the art department as an on-site dresser.

Awards

 * Distinguished Artist Series, James Renwick Alliance (2020)
 * Finalist, Burke Prize for American studio crafts from the Museum of Arts and Design (2018)
 * John D. Mineck Furniture Fellowship (2016)
 * Artist in Residence at Penland School of Crafts (2014–2017)