About Tanya Wolf Ragir

Tanya Ragir was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. By age fifteen she was honing her skills in drawing and sculpting the human figure. Her studies in anatomy even included sketching cadavers at the USC medical center. Ragir also studied many forms of dance: modern, jazz and ballet.  She was performing in a ballet company before attending college. This extensive dance background continues to inform Ragir’s sculpture practice.

 After graduating, from UC Santa Cruz in 1976 with a B.A. in Art and Dance, Ragir began working in the commercial mannequin industry as a figure sculptor and eventually founded her own mannequin business. While excelling in a career as a mannequin sculptor, she simultaneously maintained a fine art practice.

 Ragir’s sculptural work is now internationally collected and resides in permanent museum collections as well as private collections. Her artwork has ranged from classical to avant-garde, always evolving and morphing in response to the climactic events of her life. The female form is a constant presence in her work, as is movement. Different bodies of work have explored the expansion of feminine energy in different directions, both internal and external, personal and allegorical.

 Tanya currently lives and works in West Los Angeles, where she maintains a thriving studio practice as well as an intimate circle of students, friends and peers.