Sugarfox: Artist gets creative with trash to create animal sculptures

Artist Stephanie Hongo has been making use of trash – everything from plastic spoons, old ping pong balls and even unused catheters – to create intricate sculptures of animals.

The artist, also known as Sugarfox, embraced trash as her artist’s tools in 2017 after quitting her job as an artist-in-residence at grocery store chain Trader Joe’s.

Now the artist, based in Southington, Connecticut, has created over 100 detailed artworks of animals sometimes screwing together hundreds of pieces of trash for one piece. She has utilised a barbie leg to create a unicorn’s horn, unused catheters as the antennas of a lobster, and plastic forks for the feathers of an owl.

Inspired by Portuguese artist Bordalo II who makes large scale installations out of trash, Sugarfox found herself equally drawn to make art out of trash during a time when she was unable to buy art supplies.

She recalls: “I didn’t have a job and I didn’t have money to buy supplies. I was looking at Bordalo’s work and I thought: I know I can do this, it appeals to me so much.

“Trash is in surplus and it’s free. I started getting stuff from my house like Tupperware and old purses. But very quickly I ran out of stuff that was usable. I asked my friends and family.”