Faces meld together; severed, broken hands are fixed in gripped positions. These are sculptures by Los Angeles artist Sarah Sitkin, who crafts unsettling, occasionally grotesque works made with materials like silicone, resin, latex, plaster, and clay. It’s not that the artist is trying to shock, even if some of the imagery recalls the darker films of David Cronenberg; Sitkin just seems to have found a different way of looking at the humanity. Check out the artist’s Instagram here.
In an interview with LA Weekly, Sitkin talks about the concept about seeing the human body out of context: “I’m just a giant landscape of these fat pockets and weird wrinkles. I’m perpetually fascinated by how shitty the human design is.”
Earlier in the year, Sitkin garnered attention with her realistic prosthetic iPhone case that appears to be wrapped in skin, complete with a synthetic ear that feels and bends like the real thing. Photos of the case went viral and pushed the volume of incoming commissions and collaborators for Sitkin.
The artist’s latest show is “Trifling Matter,” at Superchief Gallery in Los Angeles. The solo show runs through July 30th and features the creepy-yet-absorbing sculptural works for which the artist is known.
America, supposedly the land of freedom and democracy, has become incarceration nation. Almost one out of every hundred Americans is now in prison, the largest percentage of any developed country in the world. Artist Gil Batle was born in the Philippines, but he spent over 20 years of his life in the prisons of California. One would think that prison is punishment enough, but as Batle discovered, inmates also face violence, humiliation, and racial segregation. His saving grace was his ability to draw.
When studying 
Artist/architect Mohamad Hafez uses found objects and scraps to craft politically and socially charged Middle Eastern streetscapes. His "UNPACKED: Refugee Baggage" series adds an audio component, with the sculptures of homes and other structures existing inside open suitcases. The narratives offered are of real people from Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Congo, and elsewhere.