Carl Anderson’s sculptural work is deeply shaped by a personal encounter with violence—he was the victim of a life-threatening assault involving a knife. With few ways of processing such a traumatizing event, he found himself compulsively researching and making forms of medieval armor. Anderson's work is fueled by this transformative experience, and, at its core, is an unfettered exploration of the roots of violence, the dynamics of masculinity, and the ways authority and power are wielded and challenged.

Working in clay—a material used by humans for millennia—Anderson creates forms that are both hard and fragile, a powerful metaphor for the core drivers at the root of overt and toxic masculinity.

Using a visual language that reflects on masculinity, duty, and power, his recent ceramic sculptures draw inspiration from medieval armor, animal traps, and barbed wire—objects that simultaneously evoke menace and nobility. These forms reimagine historical symbols of protection and control, connecting them to contemporary notions of authority.

Anderson’s work captures the inherent tension between strength and vulnerability, investigating how his objects embody both power and fragility. Through this duality, he questions the complex and often contradictory nature of masculinity, authority, and belief.

Carl Anderson’s sculptural work is deeply shaped by a personal encounter with violence—he was the victim of a life-threatening assault involving a knife. With few ways of processing such a traumatizing event, he found himself compulsively researching and making forms of medieval armor. Anderson's work is fueled by this transformative experience, and, at its core, is an unfettered exploration of the roots of violence, the dynamics of masculinity, and the ways authority and power are wielded and challenged.

Working in clay—a material used by humans for millennia—Anderson creates forms that are both hard and fragile, a powerful metaphor for the core drivers at the root of overt and toxic masculinity.

Using a visual language that reflects on masculinity, duty, and power, his recent ceramic sculptures draw inspiration from medieval armor, animal traps, and barbed wire—objects that simultaneously evoke menace and nobility. These forms reimagine historical symbols of protection and control, connecting them to contemporary notions of authority.

Anderson’s work captures the inherent tension between strength and vulnerability, investigating how his objects embody both power and fragility. Through this duality, he questions the complex and often contradictory nature of masculinity, authority, and belief.