Meet Sari Shryack | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sari Shryack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sari, how do you think about risk?
I often contemplate risk in my practice, perhaps because I grew up below the poverty line. In many cases, landing in poverty is the result of losing some kind of gamble, be it the pursuit of the American dream or a career in the arts. This familiarity with the pain and hardship of struggling has driven me to work incredibly hard. Since January 2016, I have painted almost every single day.

However, this upbringing has also placed a tremendous amount of stress on me. Risk remains an important factor in my practice because I have no illusions about the potential consequences of losing this gamble and the impact it would have on my family. As a result, I have created a protective shell around my practice, where I can focus solely on making art freely at my easel. The marketing side of things takes care of dealing with the risks. I realize that this approach may not be helpful for others, but it’s something I often ponder and I always feel deeply grateful to be able to pursue my passion.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets my work apart is the deliberate juxtaposition I create. Coming from a background as a girl who grew up in poverty, I intentionally infuse my art with themes and ideas that are culturally associated with lower socioeconomic levels. Through my paintings, I tackle subjects of gender and class, and the medium itself inherently gives them a sense of elevation.

In one of my bodies of work, the Gilded Junk Food series, I take thrifted frames I come across and go all out with excessive gilding and gold glitter. I combine my years of hard-earned technical ability in oil painting with imagery of gas station foods, resulting in prints that are intentionally over-the-top. I can’t claim that this approach makes me completely unique, but it’s undeniable that there are significant barriers to entry within the fine art world, both in terms of sustaining an art practice and being taken seriously. From a statistical standpoint, I do stand out, as the themes and ideas I paint clearly strike a chord with many, especially those who share similar experiences of growing up in poverty and identifying as female.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I met my husband in college during my first year, and it’s quite amusing that the foundation of our relationship was built on the fact that I was an up-and-coming scholarship athlete on the cross country team. Throughout my college years, I made significant improvements and became somewhat of a standout, particularly within Division II. Throughout this journey, he cheered me on and became my training partner. Training together, he always pushed me to be the best I could be, offering support and compassion along the way.

As we entered our twenties, got married, and started a family, there were inevitable ups and downs as we navigated focusing on each other’s careers and alternated taking on the bulk of child care responsibilities. However, in December of 2020, during the pandemic’s child care crisis and the potential need for one of us to make career sacrifices, we both took a leap of faith and fully embraced my career. Throughout this journey, his unwavering support has been instrumental, especially in the past three years, as I transformed my passion and hard work into a successful business that not only supports our family but also allows us to contribute to causes we care about deeply.

It’s through this shared dedication and his willingness to help me, even when I’ve felt overwhelmed and unable to answer emails, that we have built a business we are both incredibly proud of.

Website: https://www.sari.studio/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/not_sorry_art/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notsorryart

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq0aO3G_UiDSmNHM9n0PaSA

Image Credits
Not Sorry Art LLC