About

Bio

Amanda Bristow is an artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her drawings, paintings, and sculptures utilize the human figure as a way to explore and convey her experiences as a fat, neurodivergent woman raising children in a late-stage capitalist society.

Amanda graduated summa cum laude from California State University East Bay in 2023 with a BA in Studio Art and Liberal Studies. She is an MFA candidate at California College of the Arts. Her work has been exhibited at ICA San Francisco, Root Division, Drawing Room, PLAySPACE Gallery, and other galleries.

Statement

As a fat, neurodivergent woman, my art is fueled largely by a sense that this world wasn't made for me and for many of the people I love. The untimely loss of my younger brother seven years ago, a brush with covid that nearly killed my youngest child in 2022, and the experience of motherhood in general have only added to this sense of vulnerability. I think a lot about the fragility of our mental and emotional well-being, especially as late-stage capitalism dominates every aspect of our lives. Through painting, drawing and sculptural work I use my own image, and those of my family and friends, to explore and share my thoughts. Recent topics in my work include grief, mental and physical illness, loneliness, and the effects of capitalism on our sense of connection and well-being.

Functioning as a space for reflection, meditation, and self-care, my practice is intentionally slow, allowing for highly rendered, detailed work. As I work, I think about the need for community, material and moral support, and better access to resources for the most vulnerable people. The time spent with my subjects is a way to properly acknowledge and demonstrate their worthiness and to create room for my own thoughts and feelings.