Sebastian Martorana is a sculptor and illustrator living and working in Baltimore, Maryland.
For over ten years, Sebastian has focused on the art of carving. Much of the material used for his sculptures was salvaged from Baltimore’s historic, though often discarded, architecture.
Sebastian works on private commissions and commercial projects from his Baltimore studio. Clients include the United States Senate in Washington, DC, The National Basilica in Baltimore, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
His sculptures have been shown in numerous galleries and museums and can be found in prominent collections. He is a faculty member at the Maryland Institute of Art and is a repeat presenter for the American Craft Council. His work was featured in the Renwick Gallery’s 40 Under 40 show and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
THE WORK
How to Make Carving Tools on the Cheap
Part 1: Chisels [see below for Part 2: Mallets] As with a lot of specialized trades, just knowing where to get the right tools if half the battle-- the other half is finding a lending company to take out the loan required to purchase trade specific...
read moreUnseen
"Unseen" began as a reflection on the amount of artwork that is produced but never seen. How many people actually "see" artwork? Most people that "see" artwork actually haven’t. They have seen pixels. Fewer people have actually seen my artwork in person than have...
read moreLatent
Often, the most exciting pieces I make happen when collectors say: "What do you really want to do next?" This can be intimidating since you are being put on the spot and there is pressure to have an idea immediately. Luckily for me, my work takes so long that I will...
read moreWe Both Wear Pants
This piece is both portrait and admission. It comes from the same place as a series of pieces I began years ago. Yours, Mine & Ours, was my attempt to visually describe the unique personalities that make up my family. My wife is the smooth, folded bath towel to my...
read moreGlove: Engineer
Finally some killer photos by Geoff Graham of the second glove in the series focusing on some of the hand-wear I've accumulated. This railroad "engineer" style glove reminds me of the type of gloves my grandfather wore. His family immigrated to the States and worked...
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