Meet the Artist
Shelly Durica-Laiche
SCULPTURE/Metal Work
Shelly Durica-Laiche received a double major from Portland State University in Sculpture and Graphic Design and fell in love with steel during her first welding class. Now in her SE Portland studio, she designs and builds both functional and decorative metal sculpture, synthesizing her experiences into three dimensions with a focus on elegant form and a bold, linear aesthetic. Her public work has been exhibited at Milwaukie City Hall Sculpture Garden, Oregon Society of Artists, Auburn Downtown Sculpture Gallery, and Happy Valley Sculpture Garden. Her sculpture, Manzanita Moongate, is in the permanent collection of the Hoffman Center for the Arts in their Wonder Garden. She also teaches art welding and accepts commissions for custom projects.
Materials and tools used include: reclaimed steel as her preferred material, along with non-ferrous metals such as brass, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper. She MIG welds the steel and uses cold connections like rivets, jump rings, or prong settings for the non-ferrous metals. She collects her materials from steelyards, the side of the road, by donation, or through her travels, transforming these found objects into assemblages with a new voice.