Artist Feature: Bernie Peterson

Bernie Peterson (South Dakota) started carving soap in the 1980’s. For People’s Biennial, Peterson will exhibit a selection of these small sculptures produced with a paring knife in between 1983-1994. Although soap carving might sound like a strange choice of medium, it has a long history as a hobby and art. Originally started in Thailand, the activity became increasingly popular in the United States, with Ivory holding the first soap sculpture contest in 1924.