Ria Brodell

Gallery Affiliations: Kopeikin Gallery

Region: Northeast

"The Distant Lands" are a beautiful place, vast, uninhabited and unblemished by human influence. There are many different creatures living here. I carefully observe these creatures and their social interactions. My drawings and sculptures are an attempt to represent them and record their characteristics and behaviors.

For instance, the Wormbunnies were the first creatures I observed. They are gentle and curious animals that live in small communities. They are very social and travel often. Similarly, The Whale and his friend the Submarine journey everywhere together. I would characterize them as old friends and they seem to be highly regarded by the other creatures. The Birdmen, on the other hand, though intelligent and entrusted to spread the news, are rather apathetic to the dilemmas of the others. They often cause mischief. The Clumps and the Sodmonsters are the most troubled of the various creatures. They emerge from the land and can only be distinguished by their temperaments. The Sodmonsters are voracious and aggressive and are constantly vying for more territory. They have been continuously waging war on their more peaceful counterparts, the Clumps. This endless battling has caught the attention of even the most reclusive of the creatures in "The Distant Lands."