Conversations with Catarina Dubyk-Cassidy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Catarina Dubyk-Cassidy.

Hi Catarina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Key West, Florida, surrounded by water and constantly immersed in the natural world. Living on an island meant being aware of biodiversity, tides, storms, erosion, and growth. I spent a lot of time outside running, swimming, and exploring, and that physical relationship with the environment shaped how I understand systems and patterns. I was always creative, but it was not until my senior year of high school that I realized art could be a serious pursuit. Running is what introduced me to SCAD through cross country and track, and once I arrived, I committed fully to sculpture. Over time, my work gravitated toward neurological structures, memory, and the parallels between biological systems and natural growth patterns. Now based in Atlanta, I continue to explore how networks, both human and environmental, form, adapt, and transform.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. Throughout college, I balanced being a student-athlete with developing my sculpture practice while also working to support myself. I experienced multiple significant injuries that temporarily pulled me away from both running and creating. Those periods of interruption were difficult, but they reshaped my understanding of resilience. Much of my work focuses on systems that reorganize and adapt under pressure, and that perspective comes directly from lived experience. I learned to approach setbacks the same way I approach materials, by studying them, adjusting, and continuing forward. Completing both my athletic and artistic commitments despite those challenges is something I am incredibly proud of.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a sculptor whose work examines memory and networks as evolving systems that shape both the human body and the natural world. I am especially interested in the parallels between neurological structures and organic patterns found in trees, roots, and ocean currents. My practice is research-driven, and I primarily work with natural materials such as wood and bronze, allowing their physical properties to inform the final form. In my recent work, I have also incorporated printmaking as a way to merge handmade processes with mechanical systems, reflecting my interest in the tension between organic growth and structured networks. What sets my work apart is the way it blends scientific inquiry, lived experience, and organic material into sculptural forms and prints that feel active, as if they are still in the process of becoming.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that often surprises people is that running is what brought me into the art world professionally. I was recruited to SCAD through cross country and track, and I pursued both athletics and sculpture simultaneously. I have also trained as a blacksmith using historical tools and methods since elementary school, and I studied music for much of my life, beginning with piano and guitar before transitioning fully to clarinet throughout middle and high school. Those seemingly different worlds of craft, athletics, music, and research overlap in my practice, and have shaped how I think about discipline, structure, endurance, and how systems respond to stress and change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.creationsbycatarina.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creationsbycatarina/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarina-dubyk-cassidy-185906270/