Foon Sham: “Tunnel Vision”

Foon Sham: “Tunnel Vision”
Vision on the Pond, 2025, I-Park, local Hemlock tree material, 9 x 9 x 6 feet

September 2 – October 25, 2025
Artist talk: Friday, October 17, 4-5 pm, Ballston Center
Reception with the artist: Friday, October 17, 5-7 pm 

Curated by Sarah Hardesty
Cody Gallery, Marymount University
Courtesy of Gallery Neptune and Brown, Washington DC

 

 

 

 

Cody Gallery is pleased to present the work of internationally acclaimed sculptor Foon Sham in Tunnel Vision. Sham integrates natural forms with architectural precision through large-scale sculptures, site-responsive work, mixed-media drawings, and a process rooted deeply in materials, craftsmanship, and environmental consciousness. This exhibition features sculptures, drawings, video, and photographs along with a scaled model of a recent site-specific sculpture, Vision on the Pond, created during his residency at I-Park in Connecticut. Additionally, his large-scale interactive sculpture, Shield, is on view at the corner of N. Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive.

Known for his immersive wooden structures and organic yet geometric forms, Sham’s work invites viewers to physically engage with the work while reflecting on the raw beauty and complexity of nature. His sculptures, primarily crafted from wood, reflect a lifelong exploration of form, material, and meaning. At the core of Sham’s practice lies a deep respect for process. His work begins with an intuitive exploration of materials, followed by meticulous planning and hand-drawn sketches, evolving into detailed construction drawings that guide his hands-on building phase. “The process is as important as the final product,” says Sham. “It’s about discovery—understanding the behavior of material and letting it speak.”

Sham’s drawings serve as meditations on movement, density, and the interplay among structure, time, materials, and organic growth. They are integral to his process, planning, and inspiration. His works on paper offer insight into the evolution of his ideas, revealing the tension between spontaneity and control.

Through the tactile density of wood in his sculptures and public commissions, the unpredictability of cast iron in pieces such as Bronzy Landscape, and the ephemeral elements of fabric and water in Tunnel Vision Agua, Sham transforms materials with a meditative and experiential awareness. His practice explores themes of tunnels, vessels, and spiraling towers that invite viewers to walk through or around them. These monumental structures symbolize transition, change, and reflection, creating a tangible presence that sharply contrasts with their quiet and contemplative purpose.

Born in Macao and raised in Hong Kong, Foon Sham is a professor of art at the University of Maryland, College Park, and lives and works in Fairfax County, Virginia. He received his MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and his BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts. With over three decades of sculptural innovation, he continues to inspire through both his practice and pedagogy. Solo exhibitions include Gallery Neptune and Brown (Washington DC); Kim Foster Gallery (New York, NY); National Building Museum (Washington DC); Katzen Arts Center (Washington DC); ARKAD Centre d’Art (Auvillar, France); Fundacao Ruicunha Gallery (Macao, China). Public art commissions include Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (Washington DC); the Smithsonian Garden at National Museum of American History (Washington DC); Oakland Park (Arlington, VA); REI (North Bethesda, MD). He has received numerous awards, including ArtsFairfax Arts Achievement Award, Visionary Artist Award, Asian Influence American Design (Smithsonian, Washington DC), and Outstanding Educator Award (International Sculpture Center).

Cody Gallery is located on the second floor at 1000 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22201