Central Library and Fulton County Arts and Culture have partnered to launch the EmpowerHER artist residency program, a celebration of women in art.
About Bonita Martin:
Bonita Martin is a self-taught figurative sculptor originally from Alexandria, Virginia, and currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. Her artistic journey began with polymer clay and later expanded into water-based clay, allowing her to explore form, texture, and scale with greater depth.
Early in her career, Martin gained national and international exposure by selling her art cards through fine department stores and stationery boutiques, including Neiman Marcus, Barney’s, Paper Affair, and select retailers across the United States and Japan. Her cards incorporated mixed materials such as polymer clay and dried botanicals encased in resin, reflecting an early interest in combining sculptural detail with storytelling.
In response to client interest and a desire to work on a larger scale, Martin transitioned from small-format work to figurative sculpture. Initially choosing to omit facial features and hands, she later embraced them as focal points of her practice, concentrating on the nuanced expressions of the face and the expressive language of the hands and body.
Inspired by intimate, often overlooked moments of everyday life, Martin’s work explores themes of presence, resilience, and mental wellness, highlighting both personal challenges and quiet triumphs. She finishes her original pieces using acrylics, waxes, and gold leaf, and selectively casts works in bronze composite and other materials.
Artist Statement:
"I am a figurative sculpture artist working primarily with water-based clay and polymer clay, creating expressive representations of African American women and men. My work centers on the face, posture, and subtle gesture as carriers of lived experience, strength, vulnerability, memory, and quiet resilience. Whether tabletop-scale figures or intimate miniatures later molded and cast in resin, each piece begins as a study of humanity and ends as a story made tangible.
My artistic practice is rooted in observation, empathy, and reflection. I am particularly drawn to the emotional landscapes people carry. How identity, survival, dignity, and tenderness coexist in the body. Many of my figures reflect stages of becoming: what we endure, what shapes us, and what it takes to stand fully in oneself. Rather than idealizing form, I allow texture, asymmetry, and expression to remain present, honoring authenticity over perfection.
My work intentionally slows the viewer down. It invites contemplation, connection, and care. I see my sculptures not only as objects, but as companions, pieces that hold space. My background as a maker, mother, and lifelong observer informs a practice that bridges fine art, functional art, and emotional wellness. Through sculpture, I explore how art can serve as testimony, comfort, and reminder: that our stories matter, and our presence has weight.”
Connect with Bonita Martin on Instagram @bonitam.artist, opens a new window, her website at www.bonitamartin.com, opens a new window, or email at mail@bonitamartin.com, opens a new window.
For more information about current resident artists or the Central Artist Corner Residency program, email vikki.walters@fultoncountyga.gov, opens a new window.
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