Joshua Newbend
Humanity Seeks Higher Ground
2026
My work is enveloped by the ideas of play, imperfection, and an imaginative understanding of the world. Nature is where much of my research is based and my creativity is drawn from. In my work, I push and pull on how systems, natural and organic, or human and societal, develop and function. There are many layers in our day to day lives that I am happy to poke at. I often lean into a playful and unserious side of abstracting things while working in many modes of making and installation, not bound by any particular medium or material. Texture, color, and form are all facets I experiment with. The shape and surface of my art refers to the concepts behind it, providing cues from which the the viewer can derive insight. When nature is sourced and remade by human hands, is it no longer natural? Through intervention and manipulation, I can redirect how natural phenomena are considered and recontextualize how we see them.
About the Artist
Joshua Newbend is an artist and MFA candidate at the University of Connecticut (UConn) specializing in Sculpture and Ceramics, focusing on the intersections of nature and humanity. Originally from the Deep South, he holds a BFA from Columbus State University (2020) and often incorporates playful, absurdist elements into his work. He has exhibited his work at ArtSpace Hartford; The Bo Bartlett Center, Columbus, GA; and Columbus State University among others.