Sonya Clark

Sonya Clark (b. 1967, Washington D.C.) is a multidisciplinary artist/educator whose work explores themes of the African diaspora, cultural heritage, race, identity, and history through tactile materials. Drawing from her Afro-Caribbean heritage, Clark engages with the legacies of colonization, slavery, and cultural symbolism. Using materials such as hair, cloth, flags, and combs, her art transcends craft into platforms for social commentary and activism that challenge societal views. Clark's work, including installations, sculptures, and performances, has been exhibited in over 400 museums and galleries worldwide. Notable projects include "The Hair Craft Project," "Kente Flag Project," and "Unraveling". In 2021, "Sonya Clark: Tatter, Bristle, & Mend" opened at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, showcasing 100 works spanning 25-years. Other exhibitions include "Monumental Cloth: The Flag We Should Know" (2019), "This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World" (2023), and "We Are Each Other" (2024).

Clark served as Department Chair at Virginia Commonwealth University (2006–2017) and is currently Professor of Art at Amherst College. She holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy, BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, BA from Amherst College, and doctorates from Amherst College and Art Institute of Chicago.

Receiving numerous awards, including from ArtPrize, Art Matters, United States Artists, Pollock-Krasner, Anonymous Was a Woman, Smithsonian, among others, and residencies in Beijing, France, Italy, USA, including the inaugural Black Rock Senegal Fellowship. Clark’s work has been featured in major publications like The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, ARTFORUM, Sculpture, LA Times, Hyperallergic, Mother Jones, and Huffington Post. Represented by Goya Contemporary, her art is included in major collections worldwide.

Submitted by Goya Contemporary/Goya-Girl Press