Statement and Bio
Claire R Lynch pushes the delicate balance between beautiful fragility and aggressive violence in her mixed material and kinetic sculptures. Within these dichotomies, Lynch explores the cognitive dysfunctions experienced in bipolar disorder. Cognitive dysfunctions are symptoms of bipolar disorder that occur when the brain experiences difficulty sending neurotransmitters across the brain or when the brain is not producing enough neurotransmitters. When this happens, the brain begins to cognitively slow, leading to symptoms such as short term memory loss, confusion, intrusive thoughts, anger, and depression. From there, Lynch’s work dives into the emotional impact caused by these cognitive dysfunctions. Through reflection, Lynch believes we can begin to appreciate the complexity and depth of these cognitive dysfunctions, and recognize that we are not alone in our experience of them.
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Claire R Lynch was born in Arlington, Virginia and began her sculpture practice while at Stanford University. Lynch graduated in 2014 with a BA in Art Practice and was the recipient of the Louis Sudler Prize for Performing and Creative Arts from Stanford University.
In 2014, Lynch moved her practice to San Francisco, California, where she completed residencies at Recology and Root Division, and was the recipient of the Blau-Gold Fellowship.
In 2017, Lynch returned to the east coast to pursue her MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in the Rinehart School for Sculpture program. At MICA, Lynch was the recipient of the Perna Krick ‘31 and Reuben Kramer ‘32 Fellowship, the Amalie Rothschild ‘34 Fellowship, the Sidney Lake Award, Outstanding Student-Achievement Nomination, and the Graduate Merit Scholarship. Lynch graduated with her MFA in spring of 2019.
In 2024, Lynch became a studio artist at the Workhouse Arts Center in Virginia.