about the artist

Phia Spencer is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and aspiring scholar. By integrating serigraphy, analog photography, and creative writing into prints, artist books, and installations, Spencer explores a number of philosophical quandaries: the impossibility of artistic originality, the notion of objective beauty, the nature of neurodivergent language systems, the spacialization of childhood memory, etc. Phia is content with the wandering nature of her work; believing that, at its core, her art is an untangling of ideas—all tethered in the same place. 

Ekphrasis is central to the form and content of her work. In this embracing of the derivative, Phia continually utilizes found objects and text in her work. Silhouettes of furniture and human figures are vital to her visual language. Similarly, the use of intentional “misprinting” alludes to her philosophical interests and reveals the nature of her process. With a simplified color palette, Spencer focuses on texture and leans into her design sensibilities in the development of her prints. 

After completing her bachelor's degree in philosophy, literature, and visual art at Wheaton College, Phia began her MFA in printmaking at RISD. In addition to her Master of Fine Arts, Spencer will earn a teaching certificate and a concentration in Theory and History of Art and Design with a focus on the intertwining relationship of literature and visual art. She will graduate in 2025 and aspires to teach in higher education, while continuing her intellectual pursuits. 

for a complete artist statement and resume please reach out with an email to theycallherphia@gmail.com