Vivienne J Riggio’s artistic journey is a testament to a life steeped in observation and the transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary. Her studio has been described as a crucible where she takes shapes and textures and creates mystical sculptures of wonder. Her trust is built around her deep intuitive character and wildly active imagination. This trust has guided her well before identifying as an artist. She’s been a creative since birth.  

ABN: What is your background?

Born in the coal mining region of Murphysboro, Illinois, and now permanently residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Vivienne’s path to becoming an artist was as intuitive as it was inevitable. From her earliest memories, she was captivated by the world’s shapes, images, and designs, finding solace and expression in the arts as a young girl. Her childhood, characterized by quiet introspection and a deep internalization of her surroundings, laid the foundation for her unique artistic language, which she began expressing through three-dimensional art as early as five years old. 

This fascination with shapes led her to the world of design at the Fashion Institute of Design. However, after a summer employed at the Santa Fe Opera costume shop, her vision and a new north star beckoned. That was when three-dimensional life-size sculpture took hold and hasn’t let go since.  

As a career, Vivienne took a dramatic shift towards defending the rights and conditions of factory workers throughout most of the world. This profound pool of collective imagery, culture, language, and empathy has deeply inspired her work. When she wasn’t traveling, she decomposed herself in her art, sculpting, making mosaics, and hiking. 

ABN: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

As a multi-media artist Vivienne’s superpowers stretch from many regions of her vast imagination. Sculpture, mosaic, metalwork, fiber arts, block printing. “My truth allows me to shift boundaries as the inspiration and images appear.” Her sources of inspiration include other artists, both contemporary and historic, the wilderness, the sky, the sunlight and rain. The seasons of spring, Indian summer, and autumn also deeply influence her work. All these elements are rooted in her subconscious as she is out and about interacting with the world around her. Once she steps in her studio, however, the magic unfolds. 

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

I’m inspired by Alexander Calder for his unabashed creativity, Magdalena Abakanowicz for her ingenuity to repurpose and courage to go big, Bette Saar to bring renewed life to the discarded, Graciela Iturbide for her stunning black and white photographs of rural Mexican women, and Rose Simpson for her courage.

ABN: What is the best advice you’ve received? 

“You’re different than the others, consider that a gift.” My dad told me this when I was about 5 years old. 

ABN :When you are not working, where can we find you?

I enjoy being outdoors, at the movies, golfing, socializing with others, going on road trips, exploring wherever I live, and going to museums, galleries, and art events. 

ABN: What have you done recently that enhanced you as an artist?

People ask and wonder where the idea for the Sheep Collection, or the Herd, came from. Why has she been compelled to create mythical creatures that take us to another realm? The sheep, the bulls, and the bison. So she began researching the prominence these animals have shared with various deities. Her research and curiosity took her to Mesopotamia. In doing so, it was discovered that many deities from this region, where the origin of life had beginnings, are where goddesses and gods had bulls, cows, and rams as their companions. This information inspired Vivienne to create a new cohesive body of work—three mythical heads, the guardians of the cosmos. Stay tuned! 

ABN: Any plans for 2025? Where will your creativity take you?

Vivienne has a well-thought-out plan for 2025. It includes exhibiting strategies, the intention to go deeper into her imagination with no boundaries set, no expectations, to explore ideas and play with concepts unabashedly. To continue to explore where ideas come from. To continue to play and have confidence in the outcome.  

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Q: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is? What is your background?

A: My name is Vivienne Riggio, I am a Santa Fe-based sculptor. My artistic journey is a testament to a life infused with observation and the transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary. As a way of manifesting my vision, I fabricate large-scale mythical creatures that connect us to another time, another place.

I draw from my experience in operatic costuming and apparel design and use traditional Southwestern embroidery techniques, sheep’s wool up-cycled paper, and unusual objects.

My desire is that these shaman-like sculptures evoke a departure from conventional imagery to an unfamiliar place of wonder. Ultimately, I hope the viewer connects with that other place, a departure from their day-to-day thinking. For some these pieces take on a lifelike presence and others just enjoy the craftsmanship and appreciate them just as a work of art.

Born in Murphysboro, Illinois, my path to becoming an artist was as intuitive as it was inevitable. From my earliest memories, I was captivated by shapes, images, and designs, finding intrigue and expression in the arts from a tender age. My childhood, characterized by introspection and a deep internalization of my surroundings, laid the foundation for a unique artistic language, which I began articulating through three-dimensional art as early as five years old.

My grandparents emigrated to the US from Southern Italy and eventually settled in the Midwest. Their daily lives, though extreme from what Sicilia offered, gave them sustenance and a sense of belonging to something larger. 

In the late fifties, my parents heeded the California call and settled in the Bay Area, a small town ripening with revolutionary fervor. As teens, my siblings and I drank up the culture outside our front door questioning nothing and everything.

This is a small taste of what I inherited and was exposed to. As a young girl, I stood back and observed family dynamics, Catholicism, and academics and spent much of my time creating unusual art as a way of processing and expressing. It’s been that way ever since.

In my late thirties, I discovered New Mexico after a summer of picking fruit in British Columbia. Once landed outside of Albuquerque, I worked at the state fair, at restaurants, and wrote short stories. After a gig at the Santa Fe Opera as a seasonal worker in the costume shop, my artistic vision leaped toward larger dimensional pieces. I eventually settled in Santa Fe, but not before going back and forth to the West Coast and moving where my work took me.

I dedicated my career to labor rights, traveling to factories throughout Latin America, Asia, and North America, interviewing workers and factory owners. I’m now a permanent resident and live a stone’s throw from the Santa Fe River.

Q: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

A: The core of my artistic philosophy lies in the genuine, unfiltered interaction with the world around me. Whether I am surrounded by the tranquility of nature or immersed in the vibrant energy of a city, every experience is a wellspring of inspiration. My art is a means of distilling these experiences, transforming them into a language of shapes, textures, and forms that resonate on a visceral level. This process is not just about creation but is a form of communication, a way of sharing my perspective and inviting others to see the world through a different lens.

What motivates me to create is the endless potential for transformation—an object, a piece of fabric, or a fleeting image can become a conduit for profound expressions and conversations. I aim to create art that not only captivates visually but also engages on an emotional and intellectual level, prompting reflection and eliciting a sense of wonder. Through my work, I strive to offer a moment of connection, an opportunity for viewers to engage with their surroundings and their inner selves in new and unexpected ways.

Q: What artist(s) inspire you?

A: Magdalena Abakanowicz for her ingenuity to repurpose and courage to go big. Bette Saar to bring renewed life to the discarded. Louise Bourgeois for her courage to express sensuality and objects that cause a reaction in viewers. Graciela Iturbide- for her photographs of rural Mexican women. Christian LeCroix and Alexander McQueen for their otherworldly fashion

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