About
Pronunciation: "AH-ree" + "EEST-muhn"
Contact: ari (at) arieastman (dot) art
Socials: @ageart @superweirdstudios
Bio
My work is grounded in research and journalistic inquiry, blending mixed-reality collaboration, illustration, and digital techniques with traditional print processes to create rich, layered sensory experiences. I aim to represent individuals and their larger communities, shedding light on both the visible and hidden facets of their stories. My work serves as a bridge that documents collective experiences through the lens of individual voices, fostering social connections and a sense of identity.
My work integrates my own identity through absurdity, taboo, oddity, and humor to reflect my own experiences. Through a Bosch-like anxiety, I critique and satirize governments and institutions, revealing how the personal is inherently political. My work, which embraces edgy, subversive, and provocative themes, highlights the need for diversity and unpacking experiences, showing that community requires acknowledgment of these aspects of complex identities and recognizing the dynamic nature of public and private bodies.
Community engagement is at the heart of my work, addressing social and environmental issues while amplifying the experiences of those within the community. By transforming everyday observations into illustrations, digital graphics, photography, sculpture, and installations, I work to cultivate understanding and connection.
In my recent work, I use a combination of digital techniques (HTML, game engines, web design, digital animation, and 3D rendering) integrated with lived experiences and analogue media. This approach allows me to create accessible digital spaces that promote dynamic relationships among technology, environment, and community. In my installation TEDxPeople (2024), I created hybrid spaces using physical installation and a digital webpage. I designed a crafted voting booth, spray-painted and stenciled, where participants could enter and submit imagery. These images and “votes” were anonymously uploaded to a digital webpage that I created and showcased. Ultimately, the images were printed, cut apart into “I Voted” pins, and distributed at the installation opening to illustrate the power of voting and the political satire surrounding the 2024 election—demonstrating the role of individual voices in collective community building through both physical and digital means.
I want my work to act as a conduit for diverse narratives and meaningful dialogue, contributing to more empathetic and inclusive forms of community.
Artist Statement
Ari Eastman is a multidisciplinary artist, collaborator, advocate, and journalist who documents experiences through print, programming, audiovisual design, digital graphics, and illustration. Their work emphasizes community engagement while exploring the intersection of technology and physical environments. Through satire and mixed media, Eastman addresses social and environmental issues with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity. They have received multiple grants and awards, including the Harlid Kyler Young Artist Award. Currently, Eastman is concluding a residency with the Lansing School of Nursing & Clinical Sciences and completing their thesis documenting social art practices in Louisville, Kentucky.