Heidi Schaaf was born in Omaha, Nebraska. She attended Wayne State College in Nebraska where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Studio Arts. She continued her education at Kansas State University and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. Her mixed media and outdoor sculptures have been included in more than twenty juried and invitational exhibitions and three solo exhibitions; the most recent exhibition being at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Collation in New York where she was awarded a Certificate of Recognition. She has participated in several collaborative projects. Her work has been written about in over five different publications.

Artist Statement

Materials and their qualities captivate me, inviting an exploration of tension and transformation. I’m fascinated by how far I can extend a material’s boundaries, how it can shift from familiar to ambiguous, and how it defines space in relation to the human figure. In today’s society, where the physical world often feels overshadowed by the virtual, we are less attuned to what surrounds us. My studio work lets me reconnect with the tangible world. The physicality of making, adapting as the sculpture evolves, grounds me in the present moment. Different construction methods allow me to respond to the material, maintaining a sense of control and presence as the work unfolds. Often, I work with standardized modules that inspire my next piece. I raise questions like how to open a closed form while maintaining the same volume. By altering forms in permutations, I explore relationships among material, space, and physical qualities. My background in ballet shapes this understanding, where tension and harmony are created through opposing forces. In ballet, a high kick is achieved by pushing down into the ground until the leg naturally rises; balance requires grounding from shoulders through feet while lifting through the chest. This concept of conflicting forces, as well as ballet’s logical, sequential structure, informs my approach to sculpture, creating work with varied outcomes on the surface but united by an underlying logic. Through my work, I aim to create forms that invite viewers to pause, observe, and reconnect with the physical world around them.