Kagan Display in Corvallis month of March

PRESS RELEASE

            Throughout the month of March, a collection of ceramic sculptured masks and busts on display in the windows of the Footwise storefront window at 301 SW Madison Ave in Corvallis will delight art viewers of all ages. Oregon-based artist, Martin Kagan, is a self-taught sculptor who creates outside the traditional canons of art. With a diverse repertoire of life-sized busts utilize a 3D-printed infrastructure layered with oil-based clay and then coated with acrylic finishes. Finding inspiration in the uniqueness of human faces, his statues are sometimes adorned with repurposed stands, jewelry and fabric, further inviting an imaginative approach to character studies.

            Kagan’s work has been exhibited at the Troutdale Art Center, the Oregon Gathering of the Guilds, the Portland Home and Garden Show, the Cave Gallery in Vancouver, Brassworks Gallery in Portland, and several wine tasting venues in the Willamette Valley.  A native of South Africa, Kagan credits his early interest in sculpting to creating small statues with his friends using window putty. After success in business, he began collecting African statues which continue to inspire his art.  With the onset of the pandemic, Kagan took up sculpting as a means of connecting to the uniqueness of human expression and offering break-through views showcasing the exuberance of life. His pieces are born out of a desire to use visual images to communicate and transcend basic object viewing. Kagan enjoys the challenge of repurposing items and drawing upon his love of conceptual engineering to fabricate unique structures for his statues.