Tamara Kostianovsky
New York, United States
Tamara Kostanovsky creates artwork about the environment, violence, and consumer culture, often employing discarded clothing and other textiles for the creation of visceral yet intricate sculptures and installations. Kostanovsky has presented solo exhibitions at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris, France; The Baker Museum, FL; Denver Botanic Gardens, CO; Smack Mellon, NY; Fuller Craft Museum, MA; SLAG&RX Gallery, NY and Paris, and many others. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at venues including the Brooklyn Museum, NY; El Museo del Barrio, NY; The Jewish Museum, NY; Nevada Museum of Art, NV; The Rockefeller Center, NY; Bienal Sur, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the Musée du Textile et de la Mode, Cholet, France. The artist is the recipient of distinguished awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, and grants from NYFA, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, The Virginia Groot Foundation, and others. Kostanovsky received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the National School of Fine Arts “Prilidiano Pueyrredon” in Buenos Aires, Argentina (1998), and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia (2003).
2025 Biennial Project
Project Overview
Nature Made Flesh
Nature Made Flesh is a series of life-size textile sculptures that resemble severed tree limbs, blending human anatomy with natural forms. Made from the artist’s late father’s clothing, the work reflects themes of memory, loss, and renewal. Shirts and pants become tree “bark” and “branches,” turning personal grief into a broader reflection on environmental harm. The sculptures use human-like colors and textures to link the body to the landscape, suggesting that damage to nature is also damage to ourselves. By treating cut trees as bloodless wounds, the work invites viewers to see the Earth as a living body, marked by human impact. Nature Made Flesh explores the shared vulnerability of all living things and the lasting imprint of loss.
Previous work
Project Overview
Venue
View moreChicago Cultural Center
Address
78 E. Washington St., Chicago, IL 60602
Neighborhood
The Loop
Description
Completed in 1897 as Chicago’s first central library, the building was established as the Chicago Cultural Center, the nation’s first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue, in 1991. One of the most visited attractions in Chicago, the stunning landmark building is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, as well as free art exhibitions, performances, tours, lectures, family activities, music, and more – presented by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and many others.
