Submaterial thrives as a direct result of the enduring commitment of our staff to an extraordinary level of craftsmanship. We are so grateful for the efforts of this talented group of makers and we’d like to share some of their stories.
russell
Russell Arthur Bauer creates kinetic, performative, and allegorical sculptures by applying his knowledge of construction, electronics, and living systems. When the works hang from the wall he considers them paintings. As much work as possible is released into the public domain. His portfolio is available at www.rabaw.com. Major ongoing projects include the Edible Carnival and the United States Chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Technology and Infrastructure (PETTI). Bauer lives and works in Albuquerque, NM. He received his MFA from the University of New Mexico in the Art & Ecology program, and his BFA from Michigan State University.
Ayrton
R. Ayrton Chapman is a multi-disciplinary artist based out of Los Lunas, New Mexico. She creates installations that often utilize the viewer to complete the work. She uses a variety of materials to put on interactive experiences such as; recycled objects, paint, found objects, wood, fabric, felt, magazines, plastic, people, ready-made objects, and more. All of the content she creates is filmed, edited, and available free on the Story Time With Grumbles and Friends YouTube channel.
Kai
Kai is an artist from Albuquerque, NM. He grew up with a strong imagination, and eventually received a Bachelors in Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. He has worked with cars, motorcycles, sculpted in clay, metal and wood, and made jewelry and furniture.
He is drawn to classical materials that connect his contemporary aesthetic to the high level of craft and technique that he idolizes from the past. He often explores the movement of energy in his art; energy either in the form of emotion, such as fear or romance, or energy in the form of electricity or heat.
Andy
Originally from Johnson, Vermont, Andy is a motivated individual and has a Bachelor’s of Industrial Design from Victoria University of Wellington. After completing his degree and in effort to reconnect with his roots, he moved to Albuquerque. In addition to his contributions to the products at Submaterial, Andy practices freelance product design and computer modeling: one project is his tactile clock, shown above.
Sunny
Sunny earned a Bachelor’s in Fine Art from the University of North Texas, focusing on drawing and painting. After moving to New Mexico, Sunny began designing and hand painting custom earrings and marketing through an Etsy shop. Each earring is digitally drawn, laser-cut, and custom painted before shipping to the buyer. Sunny has a deep attention to detail and a love for color into the work environment, lending visual and technical expertise throughout departments. In their free time, Sunny is a plant enthusiast and spends time with Brody, a Red Boston Terrier.
geo
Born and raised in New Mexico, Geo is a lifelong student of art and craftsmanship. Accomplished in a variety of painting disciplines, illustration and graphic design, woodworking and photography, he remains enthusiastic about learning new and old processes. Helping raise three daughters has made his life a rich experience, and they share time often in outdoor activities around the country. He loves New Mexico for its low population density and the daily grandeur of its land and sky.
chris
Christopher was born and raised in Hawaii and studied Fine Art at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He approaches art with an explorative and somewhat scientific mindset evident in his studied repetitions and enjoys mixing photography with various fiber materials. Following this theme of exploration, Christopher has lived in California; he is looking forward to finding out what New Mexico has to offer. He is excited to be working in a creative environment such as Submaterial and appreciates being surrounded by many creative and talented people.
BRUCE
Born and raised in Albuquerque, Bruce graduated from Highland High School in 1976 and attended UNM briefly to study music, but chose to return to the workforce. He has experience working in everything from ceramics, bicycle mechanics, plastic injection molding, cable television installation, machining and retail sales. He attended classes for architectural drawing and aviation technology. Now finding himself here at Submaterial, he enjoys the kind, gentle, and creative nature of all his associates. He also gets a kick out of being the official senior team member here. His hobbies include fly fishing, cycling and spending time in his home studio writing original music, with five CD projects to his credit over the past twenty years. He became a father four years ago to a beautiful girl, Luella, who is a constant source of inspiration and reminder to try to always see the world through the eyes of a child.
rob
With a firm belief in self-improvement and peaceful living, Rob moved to Albuquerque from New Jersey and takes comfort in being nestled into the edge of a vast mountain range. Rob became involved in fabrication after Hurricane Sandy, where he volunteered to clear out debris and rebuild both homes and commercial structures. Rob likes to find jobs where he can help others find the beauty in life and allow ideas to come together and move forward.
leon
From Royal Oak, Michigan, Leon grew up working in bicycle shops. He followed the bicycle scene to New Mexico, and lived car-free for several years. Though he was drawn back to Michigan temporarily, Leon returned to Albuquerque for the local snowboarding and good friends who have become family. Submaterial has been a new experience in terms of the type of fabrication, and the amount of care and attention employees receive. Leon considers himself an industrial designer/engineer and continues to translate his artistic and technical skills into new hobbies, including motorcycle and car mechanics.
sophia
Sophia attended the University of New Mexico with the intention to earn a degree in Art Education, but soon found herself with a desire to focus and grow her own artistic aesthetic. She changed her major to Art Studio, and intends to teach art in the future. She has stayed involved in the art community and even spent time completely self-employed creating sculptural pieces, including cups, toys, and dolls. Sophia currently has her work displayed and sold at a Santa Fe art gallery (pop Santa Fe). In her free time, she is a trail runner and especially enjoys mountain running in her home town of Cordova. She was attracted to Submaterial for its minimalist designs, and has since grown a new appreciation for color palates, which are influencing her personal work.
sasha
Originally from Chicago, Sasha moved to Albuquerque in 2011 to be closer to family. He has been involved in music since he was three years old and is a third-generation drummer. His current band is called Russian Girlfriends, but he is also a successful touring and session drummer for other bands, internationally recognized and sought after. Sasha’s local band was recently voted the best punk band in Albuquerque for 2017. Submaterial has been a new experience as Sasha has no background in fabrication, but he has been able to carry over his love for new processes and creative mind into the workplace. He is excited that everything in his life relates to art and creative design and enjoys sharing his passion with his four-year-old daughter.
chad
After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts and minor in Art History at Herron School of Art and Design in Indiana, Chad moved to New Mexico to further his college career. He attended the University of New Mexico for a Masters in Studio Art. He focuses his artistic talents on both sculpture and painting, which can be seen on his website.
matt
After attending the California College of the Arts for his BFA, Matt moved back to New Mexico for the grassroots art scene and the opportunity to put on his own exhibitions. Beyond developing his personal portfolio, he has gained experience doing design production, art handling, and other creative work. Submaterial has been a good fit for Matt because it aligns with his interest in making aesthetic objects and working with his hands. Matt’s next step is to build on the support provided by Submaterial by moving to Los Angeles within the coming weeks and continuing to pursue his dream of opening his own art studio. More of his work can be seen on his website.
alyssa
From years of shop courses learning various skills, Alyssa has always been confident of her desire to make things and utilize her creativity. She earned an undergraduate degree in Architecture from the University of New Mexico and continues to find ways to excavate her interests and try new things. She enjoys mediums such as acrylic, museum board, photography, graphic design, woodworking, and even painting hair on occasion. Submaterial has been a good fit for her life because it combines fabrication with design and radiates positive energy. The next step for her will be returning to school for a Master of Business Administration.
maya
With an outdoorsy soul, Maya draws her creative side from the nature and landscapes New Mexico offers. She has a Bachelors in Exercise Science, and intends to continue her education with a Masters in Physical Therapy. Maya does rock climbing, both indoors and outdoors, with her friends on a weekly basis, and creates nature scene paintings with watercolor.
cristine
Cristine began working at Submaterial shortly after completing her Master’s of Fine Art at the University of New Mexico last Spring. While expanding her interest in design and aesthetics, and capitalizing on her love for materials and meditative processes, she is thrilled to work at a company with environmental consciousness.
Cristine’s work as an artist utilizes performance, installation, sculpture, and craft to investigate all types of relationships. From intimate personal human-to-human relationships such as familial to the larger global relationship of humans to the Earth, each piece or series is unique to its process which results in visual and thematic diversity within her larger body of work. She utilizes her practice to build a better understanding of the world around her. Although the catalyst of projects vary, themes of time, experience, memory, and guilt infiltrate all that she does. More examples of her work and video documentation can be found on her website.