Joy Frangiosa

Joy is called an artist but never felt she needed a title because she has made art every day since 2002, shortly after her daughter’s untimely death. She spent her early childhood in New Jersey at a Catholic Institution and her full lived experiences are manifested through art.  She claims her art pieces are whispered to her from worlds of the past and some from the future and says each of her creations frees a part of her inner being and lessens the imposing sensitivity she has toward life.

Another title given to Joy is “art detective,” or, as she prefers, “story weaver,” for she’s a chronicler of time, places, and people. In abandoned buildings throughout Oklahoma and wherever she travels, she finds objects, takes photos, and, listens to the stories they tell her. Using collage and assemblage, she arranges her found objects and layered photos in shrine-like boxes to tell stories and expose truths that usually go unnoticed. Her creative process includes continually gathering objects and photos for the next piece.

Through her art, she hopes to honor the nameless, the dispossessed, and the castaways of society and replace their regrets with hope and recognition.

Joy is a full-time artist.