Victoria Ralston

Bio

Tori Ralston studied Psychology and Fine Arts at UNC-CH, later working as a therapeutic arts specialist and arts educator. Tori has been teaching interdisciplinary arts and design at NC State University since 2011. In addition to her teaching, she has actively exhibited her two-dimensional work, mixed media installations, and object performances at a number of venues including  Walker Art Center, Lincoln Center, The New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, The Minneapolis Art Institute, The CAM Raleigh, Hanes Art Center at UNC Chapel Hill,  Meredith College, The Gregg Museum of Art and Design, Man Bites Dog Theater in Durham, Duke University Theater, Yale University.

In keeping with her education and work experience in psychology and visual arts, her research is informed by an investigation into personal identity and story, presented as interdisciplinary, interactive work. Formally trained in two and three-dimensional art, including design, painting, ceramics, technical theater, sculpture, and puppetry, Ralston is interested in finding engaging ways to present the quirky and strange aspects of the human condition through visual narrative. Specifically, she has been interested in the areas of brain research and neural pruning, sensory misperception, and stories of the missing and insane. Ralston works with a variety of materials and processes such as 3-d print technologies, electronics, fibers, wax, text, and abstract sonic compositions to envision the work, which takes the form of material performance, installation art, experimental film, and stop motion animation.