Anna Vaughan is an artist and educator living in Oakland, California. Originally from the Midwest, Vaughan’s creativity was nourished at early age by her mother, who was an art teacher and remains a practicing artist. Thanks to childhood summers spent on her grandparent’s farm, Vaughan maintained a lasting and intimate connection with nature. This love of nature, encouragement toward creative play, and artistic pursuit is the foundation of her work as an artist. Vaughan’s current investigations are figurative clay sculptures, which seek to draw connections between the artist’s own inner world and the more direct experience of observation from life.

Working with the figure also provides a way for the artist to explore cultural, historical, and spiritual myths. Her artwork responds to the interplay between natural and manmade environments, and she endeavors to draw out points of connection and diversion between these two worlds. Her sculptures invite viewers to contemplate some of the profound and simple experiences of living in connection with nature.  Vaughan lectures at a variety of Bay Area institutions, including UC Berkeley’s ASUC Art Studio, California College of the Arts, and Laney College.