Thea Rae

Throughout life, individuals seek to create connections—to places, moments, and people. These connections form networks, invisible threads and pathways that anchor us within our experiences and to one another. This is particularly evident in Thea's work. Their work spans sculpture, installation, and performance, seeking to visualize and explore this philosophy of interconnectedness.

In their sculptural practice, Thea celebrates the unique patterns shaped by choices, encounters, and environments. Their current tension series uses wood scraps from past digitally fabricated projects, transforming the offcuts into 3D structures through a process of selection, hand-shaping, and tensioning. This approach not only minimizes waste but also creates a dialogue between digital precision and handcrafted aesthetics.

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Parallel to their sculptural practice, Thea creates installations for performance research, further exploring themes of human connection, choices, and trajectories. Using materials such as rope, trees, truss, and bamboo, these installations serve as physical manifestations of interconnected experiences. Collaborating with diverse movement practitioners, they deepen their investigation into how individuals navigate and influence...

NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program, NY - MPS
Smith College, MA - BA, Studio Art
MassArt, MA - Sculpture

Solo Exhibitions
2012 Glow, SkunkFunk, CA
2011 The Sun, The Moon, & Monkeys, Basement Gallery, CA
2010 Ersatz, Basement Gallery, Oakland, CA

Group Exhibitions
2024 Not Basel, Satellite Show, Miami, FL
2024 Presence // Absence, Under The Pale Blue, NY
2024 Yellow, Loy Luo Space, Manhattan, NY
2016 Faculty Show, Smith College, Northampton, MA
2016 Future of Storytelling, NYU, NY
2016 MFA Dance Show, NYU, NY
2016 Ze, Bogart House, BK, NY
2016 ITP Spring Showcase, NYU, NY
2016 Magic, Magnets, & Mechanical Motion, BK, NY
2015 ITP Fall Showcase, NYU, NY
2015 ITP Spring Showcase, NYU, NY

Installations
2024 Tension, Browns Island, ME
2024 Tension, Brooklyn, NY
2022 Watari, Wonderfruit festival, Thailand
2018 Sprilva Poacendere, Wonderfruit festival, Thailand
2015 Gallery, Envision Festival, Costa Rica
2014 F.A.C.T. #3, What The Festival, OR
2014 F.A.C.T. #2, Lightning in a Bottle, CA
2014 F.A.C.T., Envision Festival, Costa Rica
2012 Wading, Oakland, CA