Dallas-based artist Roberta Masciarelli has a gift for seeing possibility where most people see waste. Her sculptures — built from abandoned electronics, forgotten tools, and objects with “a line of human thought” still embedded in them — are playful, poetic, and deeply reflective. With an architectural eye and a storyteller’s heart, she transforms discarded materials into imaginative worlds that spark curiosity and invite us to rethink our relationship with objects, memory, and the planet. We caught up with Roberta to explore the ideas, inspirations, and quiet acts of reverence behind her extraordinary work.
Roberta is also a content partner. Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from spreading the word about the work we do, to sponsoring our mission and collaborating with us on content like this.
Hi Roberta, thank you so much for spending some time with us today! We are fascinated by your work. Your sculptures often start with discarded or forgotten materials, yet the final pieces feel full of new life and meaning. What draws you to found objects, and what’s the first spark that tells you an object belongs in your work?
We live in a nonstop cycle of consumerism that causes immense pollution on our planet — and perhaps there’s no way back. There’s no pause in this process: everything is discarded, with no second use, no reuse.
There’s a bias against the old; it’s considered out of fashion.
With technology, this cycle has only accelerated, and product obsolescence is faster than ever.
We just discard things, and they end up in landfills. Do they really recycle everything? What actually happens? Well… the story is ugly, and I won’t go there.
But when I see a discarded piece, I see the idea and the project behind it — the thought, the design, the intention. Something that once had purpose now abandoned. What makes me use it? There’s beauty in it — and sometimes even a sense of humor.
You’ve said that every object you use carries “a line of human thought.” That’s such a beautiful idea. How does that awareness influence the way you approach creation — and the stories you build through your assemblages?
When I see a found object or an electronic part, I imagine the human thought that shaped it. What was its purpose? How was it made?
Each object carries a trace of someone’s creativity and effort — that’s what moves me. I often disassemble things to reveal what’s hidden inside; the inner structure tells another story.
For example, an old Mac computer — it was once a success and then became obsolete, yet when you open it, it’s a work of art, full of thought and precision. That inspires me.
Sometimes my friends bring me pieces they’ve found, thinking of my work — what a treat— I feel thankful.
Your background in architecture clearly informs your sense of structure and form. How has that training shaped the way you think about balance, space, and storytelling through sculpture?
My training made me see everything as a possible space to be created, with interior and exterior areas. I usually build something inside, with a narrative — a story. And there is the outside, which encapsulates that story.
The structure is very important: it has to be stable, enduring, and — most of the time — able to be shipped.
There’s a powerful environmental and human dimension to your art — transforming waste into something poetic and enduring. What do you hope people feel or think about when they see your work?
I hope they feel the fun of it — recognizing the parts I used, trying to discover where they came from — while also reflecting on the message behind—it has to be playful.
Each piece is meaningful, and I want that message to come through.
You’ve exhibited all over the world — from Italy to Denmark to the U.S. How have those international experiences influenced your artistic vision and the way you see the relationship between people, objects, and the world around us?
Art has a universal language and no boundaries. Even though languages and cultures are different, there’s always something deeper within a piece of art.
Nothing replaces seeing a work in person and feeling that inner dialogue.
No picture on social media can capture that depth. You have to see it — experience it — whether or not you understand the artist’s original language.
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