Studio Sunday artist Sara Cwynar was born in Vancouver, BC, and is now based in Brooklyn, New York. In her practice, the artist works in a variety of media including photography, collage, and bookmaking. The artist studied photography at Yale University.

Cwynar’s studio in the above photograph looks lived-in, with a comfortable level of clutter. Knowing Cwyanr’s proclivity for working in a variety of media, it’s interesting to see how all these different media come into play even in this one corner of the studio space. I can see a standing lamp, probably for lighting photographs -- though it may come in handy for late-night painting sessions as well. Several artworks, perhaps works-in-progress, line the wall behind Cwynar.

Upon closer examination, there are some bizarre and interesting details in this photo frame. I’m curious about the large leaf that appears to be affixed to the tripod to Cwynar’s right. The shelf on the right side of the image is also interesting -- I wonder if the objects lined up on it are small sculptures by Cwynar, found objects, or perhaps mock-ups for larger works to come.

Cwynar was inspired by the aesthetics of “kitsch” early in her practice -- as the story goes, some of this inspiration came from the artist’s observations of her sister’s figure skating costumes. Cwynar studied English at the University of British Columbia before completing a bachelor’s degree in design at the University of Toronto. She has worked professionally as a graphic designer in New York.

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