ARTIST STATEMENT

Born in 1955 in Melbourne Australia, schooled in painting and sculpture Simon Rigg made the decision to relocate to New York City in May 1998 in order to immerse himself in and to pursue a rich and varied world of art in a city that, at the time, was believed to offer the most opportunities to the artist.  In 2000 Rigg was accepted into the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts (EFA) in New York City, which provided much of what Rigg required, continually evolving and progressing in his level of definition. The admittance into the Foundation offered recognition for Rigg to participate in the annual exhibitions hosted by the EFA and a continuation in numerous other exhibits worldwide.

Throughout his career Rigg has predominately focused on the metaphor of home as refuge and has been strongly influenced by indigenous architecture and forms built from what the land offers world cultures. Working in New York City, a city built on modernity and evolving history, provided a stark juxtaposition to the deviation of Rigg’s work and only made them clearer and more compelling because of the paradox. Simon Rigg’s sculptures in marble, porcelain, wood, strongly define the connection to earth but more often are combined together to negotiate and establish conceptually evocative identities with strong senses of belonging.