Claudia McDonough's portfolio

Work samples

Safety Cape

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

Army blanket, camouflage, thread. 56x13x18 in., 2023.
Dirt Nap

Leaf grow. 48 in. x varying dimension, 2009.
Sugar Figurine

Porcelain figurine, fondant. 10 in. x varying dimensions, 2022.

About Claudia

Claudia McDonough is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersection of memory, material, and emotion. Through textile, photography, sculpture, and found objects, she creates experiential pieces that reflect on impermanence, personal and collective trauma, and resilience.

McDonough lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. She has been awarded multiple Maryland State Arts Council Artist Grants and has participated in residencies at the BEMIS Center for Contemporary Art (… more

View Claudia's Resume

Tipping Point

The ongoing work in Tipping Point seeks to notice the atmosphere and feel of life since the pandemic.

Safety Cape

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

Army blanket, camouflage, thread. 56x13x18 in., 2023
2020-2022 Vol. 1 &2

Books, gold leaf. 10,25x7.25x4.75 in., 2023
Not Sure It's Love

Wool felt, thread, kleenex box. 9x5x4 in., 2024
Mask Red White Blue

Wool felt, 18x7.5x7.5 in., 2024
Mask Black White

Wool felt, 18x7.5x7.5 in., 2024
Letter to the Editor

Fabric, thread on canvas. 18x18 in., 2023
Delta and Omicron

Fabric, thread. 18x18 in., 2022

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. For me, this idea resonates with the concept of memory objects. I’m interested in how certain objects or even dream imagery carry memories, anchoring them to the physical world and shaping how we understand the past and who we are.

Sugar Figurine

Porcelain figurine, fondant. 10x7x7 in., 2022
Cake

Styrofoam, fondant, birthday candles. 12x6 in., 2019
Dark Chapter

Book, felt. 37x24x16 in., 2022
PItcher

Clay, paint. 12x8 in., 2019
Hand in Hand

Quilt, rice filling, wood, paint. 30x20x17in., 2021
Socks

Socks, rice filling, wool felt. 14x13x2 in., 2019

This Too Shall Pass

“This too shall pass," for me, is about resilience and time, and about embracing difficult experiences, rather than resisting them, trusting that both contribute to a larger story of who we are. This work reflects on this meaning and the space between despair and hope.

Dirt Nap

Leaf Grow. 48 in x varying dimensions, 2009
Epitaph

Artificial and live flowers, 35 in. diameter, 2009
Sham

Artificial and live flowers, staples, 2009
Self Portrait

Artist canvas. 63x18x14 in., 2009
Suitcase

Vintage suitcase, duct tape. 15x20x7.5 in., 2016
Wardrobe

Wardrobe, paint, fabric. 70x50x15 in., 2017
Blankets

Quilts, blankets, embroidery. 15x18x20 in., 2015
Tender Barricade

Pillow cases, sand. 96x21x28 in., 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.