STUDIO INTERN
FOR ANNA TSOUHLARAKIS
Anna Tsouhlarakis is an internationally recognized contemporary artist and Associate Professor at CU Boulder. Throughout Fall 2025, I interned for her in her studio, creating liquid plastic forms for her piece, SHE MUST BE A MATRIARCH. From March-August 2026, this piece was displayed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City under the Whitney Biennial exhibition, one of the most prestigious honors in contemporary art.
SHE MUST BE A MATRIARCH
Tsouhlarakis and her piece, SHE MUST BE A MATRIARCH, on display at the Whitney.
Studio Internship
Under Tsouhlarakis, I created ~100 balloon-like forms for SHE MUST BE A MATRIARCH by, you guessed it… filling up condoms with liquid plastic.
Containment Zone
My first task involved creating a specifically-dimensioned wooden box with sheets of clear plastic wrap stapled to the side. This would serve to contain the mess from any condoms which exploded due to the heat produced by the liquid plastic reaction.
Condom-Filling
For each form, I weighed out and mixed together a solution of liquid plastic then poured it into the condom using a paper-cup funnel. I would then inflate the condom using an air compressor, tie off the end like a balloon (THE HARDEST PART), and spin the condom in all directions to evenly distribute the liquid plastic as it dried.
Shown above are images of the set-up, as well as a timelapse of the creation of one of these forms.
Spray Paint & Sanding
I then individually spray painted each form to prevent degradation from the latex, and sanded down excess dried spray paint. I have no documentation of the spray room itself.