Stress Sculpture

Joseph Cunningham is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection between the physical world and the spiritual self. Rooted in observation, reflection, and curiosity, his art asks timeless questions: What does it mean to be human? What is consciousness? Where does the sacred meet the material? Raised in a blue-collar town and deeply influenced by global travel, Eastern philosophy, and ancient traditions, Joseph’s work weaves together symbols of mortality, lust, divinity, and transcendence. His artistic language draws from the Northwest Coast formline tradition, which he studies and practices in British Columbia, while also exploring Japanese aesthetics, carving, and Zen philosophy. Joseph’s primary materials—acrylic and fabric—carry both accessibility and symbolism. Fabric, as one of humanity’s oldest forms of expression, reflects identity, class, ritual, and memory. Acrylic allows immediacy, spontaneity, and evolution. Each work becomes a living dialogue with the viewer, designed to change over time and mirror one’s inner growth. His practice is deeply spiritual. He views himself not as a creator in the egoic sense, but as a vessel—his work guided by a higher consciousness that moves through him. Joseph’s art does not demand answers. Instead, it offers space: for reflection, for healing, for remembering what it means to be whole. Joseph has focused his last few years on private sales and building a client base through this he has learnt more about his work. Collectors of his work often describe it as a long-term relationship—each piece revealing more as it ages and as its viewer changes. Like a sacred conversation, the meaning evolves, deepens, and continues.