Internationally acclaimed sculptor Kathy Venter has been creating life-size figurative works in clay for more than twenty years. In 2013, "Kathy Venter: LIFE" opened at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Ontario, featuring a large installation of over 30 of these terracotta sculptures. Now, after the incredibly successful run in Canada, "LIFE" is moving to the Bellevue Arts Museum in Bellevue, Washington for display from March 7 through June 15, 2014.

"LIFE" presents an in-depth look at Venter's ability to bridge her own life experiences - living under Apartheid in South Africa and finding freedom in her adopted country of Canada - with historical sources of inspiration including the terracotta warriors of Ancient China, the Tanagra figures of Ancient Greece, Ancient Egyptian sculpture, Amakweta tribal initiation rites, and the art of Marino Marini and Viola Frey. Going far beyond expertly capturing the models' likenesses, Venter imbues her work with statements on femininity, community, and intercultural understanding, inviting us as viewers to each reflect on our own place in a broader universe.

Click here for more information on visiting the Bellevue Arts Museum.

Click here to watch the beautiful video produced for "Kathy Venter: LIFE".

• KATHY VENTER