BIOGRAPHY

Crystal Wagner received her MFA from the University of Tennessee in 2008, her BFA from the Atlanta College of Art in 2004, and her AFA from Keystone College in 2002.

She is currently represented by Mirus Gallery, Los Angeles, CA/San Francisco, CA/Denver, CO, Kirk Gallery, Denmark, Fort Works Art, Fort Worth TX. 

Crystal Wagner’s work has been described as a vibrant exploration of color, texture, and form, often noted for its unique interplay between the natural and synthetic. Critics highlight her ability to create “otherworldly” installations that merge with the environment, creating a “visual language” that feels both familiar and alien. In an interview about her exhibit Bioforms and Blooms, Wagner explained that her pieces delve into the relationship between humans and nature, using exotic, biomorphic shapes to evoke a primal connection with the organic world.

Her installations like Traverse at Burlington City Arts embody this concept by sprawling from floor to ceiling and even extending outside, blurring the line between the indoor and outdoor realms. Wagner’s spontaneous, instinctive approach allows her to create complex compositions, lending her pieces an expansive, organic feel.

Her projects, including commissions for Viacom and NIKE, often draw attention for their scale and striking use of recycled materials, pushing the boundaries of printmaking and installation art while resonating with audiences on a deeply instinctual level.

Wagner’s art has garnered widespread media attention, with features in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Artnet, Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, Complex Art & Design, Beautiful Decay, and Drawing magazines, among many others. She has been awarded the Awesome Without Borders Art Grant from the Awesome Foundation and was the Sculpture and Installation Category Award Winner of the SEE.ME, Art Takes Paris, international art competition. In print, her work appears in Contemporary Paper Art Book, Paper Art II, and the international contemporary installation collection Global Installations. Select magazine features include a 13-page article in Juxtapoz (2015), a 10-page spread in Hi Fructose (2016), and features in Graffiti Art, Dream Magazine, Frame Magazine (Amsterdam, 2017), and Drawing Magazine, solidifying her influence and reputation in contemporary art.

In 2014 she was awarded the highly coveted Pollock-Krasner Grant, in 2022 she was awarded the Adolph Gottlieb Foundation Grant, and in 2023 she was awarded the ArtAffect Grant. 

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