Work samples

  • Untitled
    Untitled

    Wool felt, kleenex box. 9x5x4 in., 2024 

About Claudia

Claudia McDonough is an artist drawn to the interplay of memory, emotion, and material, exploring how each creates the conditions for the other to exist. Materials are central to her process, aligning with the emotional core of each piece and shaping its resonance and form. Her work gravitates toward spaces where trauma resides—both personal and collective—illuminating how these experiences shape us in ways we often struggle to recognize. Between material and feeling, her pieces convey the… more

Tipping Point

Since the pandemic, and the events that continue to unfold, subtle, invisible shifts are quietly changing relationships and daily life. The ongoing work in Tipping Point seeks to notice the atmosphere and feel of these changes.

  • Safety Cape
    Safety Cape

    Chrome fabric, wool felt, wood and acrylic paint. 70x72x72 in., 2024

Magic Number 7, Plus or Minus Two

Cognitive psychologist George A. Miller famously proposed in 1956 that short-term memory can hold about seven objects, plus or minus two—a concept that feels both precise and deeply human. This idea resonates with the concept of memory objects in this room. I’m interested in how certain objects—or even dream images—carry the weight of memories, anchoring them to the physical world and shaping how we understand the past and who we are.

  • Sugar Figurine
    Sugar Figurine

    Porcelain figurine, fondant. 10x7x7 in., 2022

This Too Shall Pass

The phrase “this too shall pass,” is a reminder to us of life’s impermanence. It tells us to lean into experiences, rather than resist or avoid them, understanding that both contribute to a larger story of who we are. Resilience grows in this space between despair and hope, where the belief in a better moment sustains us.

  • Dirt Nap
    Dirt Nap

    Leaf Grow. 48 in x varying dimensions, 2009

Remembrance

Remembrance is the act of holding a person or thing in mind; it is an active, evolving process that reflects both what we hold onto and what inevitably fades.

  • Self Portrait
    Self Portrait

    Inkjet print on paper. 19x27 in., 2018