Lily Marylander
she/her
San Francisco, CA, USA
Lily Marylander is originally from Oakland, CA but is currently based in the Mission District of San Francisco. She is pursuing two BFAs in Sculpture and Jewelry Metal Arts as well as a minor in Ecological Practices at California College of the Arts.
“As a queer, adopted, Chinese, and Jewish woman, I often struggle to find complete belonging in one community. My work contemplates internal and external struggles to connect and find empowerment, and validity. I invite viewers to consider their relationships with identity and how it is negotiated within societal expectations and personal truths. I work with traditional metal media including steel, aluminum, silver, copper, and brass as well as found objects. As I continue to move forward in life, I am committed to both honing my technical skills and self-discovery.”
How does your work relate to the theme connection?
“This necklace was inspired by relationships I foster and connections I find through the classic game of pool. I’m definitely not a pool shark, but I enjoy frequenting local dive bars in SF and when I travel in order to catch up with friends and create “one night friendships” with the strangers I meet. This game helps bridge language barriers, creates conversation, sportsmanship, and banter for 20 minutes or hours of fun. I myself learned the game from an old friend and though he moved away, I carry his torch and teach others so more and more people can play and connect. Pool is a catalyst that can bring people from all different walks of life together and it’s a pastime I hope to get better at and continue to meet new friends through."
What role does connection play in your creative process?
“I am aware that I have the privilege of being able to attend a fine arts institution where I am surrounded by creatives that I can bounce ideas off of, collaborate, ask advice from, and network with. I find that my design and fabrication process absolutely benefit from having friends to keep me company while we work late in the studio. I am also constantly inspired by the people who surround me and what they create. Sometimes someone creates a piece in a completely foreign medium to mine but I am transfixed and want to learn about it and how I can apply similar aesthetics to my work.
In the literal sense, the medium of metal has both cold and hot connections. There are pros and cons to both techniques (eg. rivets vs. soldering) depending on the project. Often times I plan to solder pieces together but then end up riveting because that cold connection was actually more beneficial to the piece. So I think being adaptive and fluid in your view of connection in the literal and figurative sense is really important for any creative."
"Pool", silver, found materials, 8" x 8", 2024What connection(s) does your queerness make to the world around you?
“Growing up in the Bay Area as a queer, adopted, Chinese, and Jewish woman, I was able to find safe and supportive communities that I identify with and I am so eternally grateful for that. There's a special understanding and solidarity when I encounter other queer people on the street, in bars, at school, even at work and there's an even bigger spark of excitement and admiration when I find out that they are also makers and creatives. It's an instant connection that has led to long conversations in the club bathroom, invitations to do trades, and an exchanging of instagram handles that I cherish every time it happens.
While it's mostly positive there is solidarity in the struggle as well. Not everyone is accepted and there's still queer prejudice and violence rampant in the world. I find it important to attend protests, mutual aid events, and be mindful about my contributions to the effort to make all spaces safe spaces for anyone and everyone. These events can also lead to connection although maybe under more serious circumstances but they are just as if not more empowering ."
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“While sourcing materials for this piece I also forged a variety of connections. The No. 7 pool ball was found in a Berkeley co-op house that I used to live at. It comes from a place of cooperation and shared living. The cue sticks were given to me by a lovely man named Kendell at Billiards 31 aka Samwon Billiards in Downtown Oakland. I walked in and asked if there were any broken sticks I could use for an art project and he immediately grabbed a few, handed them to me, and told me to ‘go create’. Finally, the felt fabric and the chalk were found at SCRAP SF, which is a creative reuse center that attracts all types of makers all over the Bay Area. They also host art workshops and continue to give back to the city and its art education."