Christopher Puzio
b. 1971, Paterson, New Jersey

“My studio practice is mostly focused on large-scale metal sculpture. Throughout my early years working in both visual art and design, I had developed a passion for metalwork that ultimately led me to study at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Detroit, where the immediate proximity to both a rich tradition of craft, and a vast infrastructure of industrial manufacturing, highly influenced working within my chosen medium - metal. Eventually settling in San Diego, California where I founded a studio located here in Barrio Logan, next to the largest shipyard on the west coast, at the threshold between an expanse of desert, great mountain ranges, and the roaring Pacific Ocean, bordering Tijuana Mexico, at the edge of the North American plate - many extremes synthesize within my work. But my primary artistic endeavor remains the basic exploration of how things come into being through the techniques of material production and compositional order.”

Education
2002 Cranbrook Academy of Art, Master of Architecture
1996 Boston Architectural College, Bachelor of Architecture

Solo Exhibitions
2023 Black Mountain, Lazy Eye Gallery, Yucca Valley, CA
2022 New Sculpture, Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2019 Material Reconnaissance, Sasaki, Boston, MA
2016 La Jolla Duomo, Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2015 Pattern & Structure, San Diego Central Public Library, San Diego, CA
2012 Spatial Effects, Unisource, San Diego, CA
2010 Sketch, Prototype, Test, Agitprop Gallery, San Diego, CA
2008 New Work: Big Beaver, Luis De Jesus, San Diego, CA
2007 Holy Ghost, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Select Group Exhibitions
2023 Welcome, Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2022 City of Palm Desert Art in Public Places, El Paseo Exhibition
2021 Trifecta, La Jolla Historical Society, LA Jolla, CA
2021 Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2019 Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2018 Distant Light, Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2017 Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2015 AB12 / Abstract, San Diego City College, San Diego, CA
2014 San Diego Art Institute, Winter Exhibition, San Diego, CA
2014 Object Object, Helmuth Projects, San Diego, CA
2013 Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2013 Public Art Matters, Woodbury University, San Diego, CA
2012 Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2012 Optional Features, Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair
2012 Gothic, Orange County Center For Contemporary Art
2011 MOveMENT, The Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco (MAG)
2011 MATTER, The Bakery Gallery, San Diego, CA
2011 New Contemporaries IV, San Diego Visual Arts Network
2011 Sculpture in the Garden, San Diego Fine Art Society
2010 Here Not There: San Diego Art Now, MCASD
2010 Chair For The Page, Guggenheim Gallery Chapman University
2007 Local Forms that Function, Design Within Reach, San Diego, CA
2007 Juried Biennial, Cannon Art Gallery, Carlsbad, CA
2004 Literary Print in the 21st Century, Cranbrook Art Museum
2003 Detroit Design Show, Detroit Artist Market
2003 Critical Mass, Detroit Museum of New Art
2002 Degree Show, Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum

Public Collections
City of Palm Desert Art in Public Places
San Diego Central Public Library
Daimler Chrysler Collection

Public Art Commissions
2023 Take 5, Art in Public Places, Brea, CA
2022 Carbon Canyon, Art in Public Places, Brea, CA
2019 LAX 5959, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Gaudi, Jefferson Stadium Park, Anaheim, CA
2018 Bloc: Lane Field South, San Diego, CA
2016 Cerritos Trees, City of Cerritos, CA
2016 Harborview, Hilton Hotel, San Diego, CA
2016 San Diego County Library, Alpine, CA
2014 La Jolla Crossroads, La Jolla, CA
2013 You Are Here, San Diego, CA
2013 Island Arbor, Harbor Island, San Diego, CA
2013 Magnetic Field, Culver City, CA
2013 Steelhouse, Culver City, CA
2012 Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Artist Registry
2011 San Francisco Arts Commission, Bay Area Artist Registry
2010 Cell Cluster, San Diego County Medical Examiner, San Diego, CA
2010 City of Greeley Public Art, Sculpture on Loan
2010 Alameda County Arts Commission, Site-specific Artist Registry

Private Commissions
2024 Benge Residence, Carlsbad, CA
2024 Emenate Health, West Covina, CA
2022 Gemini, Life Science Properties, San Diego, CA
2022 Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, CA
2021 Hunter Residence, La Jolla, CA
2021 Jacobs Residence, La Jolla, CA
2019 Alexandria Real Estate Equities HQ, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Culture Yard, Irvine, CA
2019 SLS Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
2018 Fort Stockton, San Diego, CA
2015 LOT Cinema, La Jolla, CA
2015 Dolgen Residence, San Diego, CA
2015 Kassel Residence, San Diego, CA
2015 Kilroy Realty Corp, San Diego, CA
2015 Parallel Capital Partners, San Diego, CA
2014 HUB Hillcrest, San Diego, CA
2014 Search Optics, San Diego, CA
2014 Shaughnessy Residence, San Clemente, CA
2014 Hubbard Residence, La Jolla, CA
2013 The Cresta, La Jolla, CA
2012 The Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, CA
2007 Boomerang for Modern, San Diego, CA

Residencies
2024 Penland School of Crafts
2023 Penland School of Crafts
2018 Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

Organizations
Allied Craftsmen of San Diego
Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)
California Blacksmith Association (CBA)
Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America (ABANA)

Bibliography
2019 Galerie, The Creative Minds Issue
2019 Modern Luxury, Society & Culture - Groundbreaking Art
2018 SD Union Tribune, What San Diego’s Art Scene Aspires to Be
2018 Pacific San Diego, Anticipation Swells
2018 Voice of San Diego, Unmasking Public Artists
2018 SDVoyager, Meet Christopher Puzio
2016 Modern Luxury, 7 Top Art Influencers
2016 San Diego Home / Garden, Take A Cue
2015 Interiors California, Shape-Shifter
2015 San Diego Home / Garden, Stars of San Diego
2014 Pacific Magazine, RE: Creation, By Patricia Dwyer
2014 New York Times, The 28-Year Plan, By Sarah Amelar
2013 Molecular Aesthetics, Peter Weibel, editor, MIT Press
2013 ARUP Connect, Controlled Randomness
2013 San Diego Union Tribune, Island Arbor Dedication
2012 Riviera Magazine, Art Power
2011 San Diego Home & Garden, Architectural Digress
2010 SD Union Tribune, Museum of Contemporary Art: 'Here Not There'
2010 Riviera Magazine, All’s Good in the Wood
2009 San Diego CityBeat Magazine, Mix, Shake, Serve
2008 SD Union Tribune, Ghost Rider & Friends, By Robert L. Pincus
2007 Riviera Magazine, Designers in Residence
2007 San Diego CityBeat Magazine, Straight and Simple
2003 306090 05, Teaching + Building, Princeton Architectural Press
2003 Hyle 9, Philosophy / Chemistry / Art, University of Karlsruhe

Lectures
2023 Public Art, Western Carolina University School of Art
2022 New Sculpture Artist Talk, Quint Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA
2014 Designers In Real Time, San Diego State University
2012 Recent Work, SDMA Contemporary Art Committee
2012 Shop Life, California Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA
2009 My House, Dwell on Design Conference / Dwell Magazine
2007 Holy Ghost / University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
2006 Constellation of Elements, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Teaching
University of San Diego:
2014 ARTV 105 Introduction to Sculpture
2013 ARTV 369 Intermediate/ Advanced Sculpture
Woodbury School of Architecture San Diego:
2019 AR.384.D1 Design Studio 3B: Structure, Systems, Space & Form
2014 AR.384.D1 Design Studio 3B: Structure, Systems, Space & Form
2013 ARCH.281.D1 Design Studio 2A: Program And Spacecraft
2013 ARCH.3708.D1 Furniture Design
2012 ARCH.281.D1 Design Studio 2A: Program And Spacecraft
2012 ARCH.3703.D1 Material Production Studio
2011 ARCH.281.D1 Design Studio 2A: Program And Spacecraft
2011 ARCH.3703.D1 Material Production Studio
2010 ARCH.491.D2 Design Studio 5A: Contemporary Topics Studio
2010 ARCH.384.D2 Design Studio 3B: Structure, Systems, Space & Form
2009 AR.487.D2 Design Studio 5A: Design Build Topics Studio
2009 AR.384.D1 Design Studio 3B: Structure, Systems, Space & Form
2008 AR.3734.D1 Material Production Studio
2007 AR.370 Fe Studio: Metal Shop

Christopher Puzio b. 1971, Paterson, New Jersey

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Christopher Puzio
b. 1971, Paterson, New Jersey