Nia Bengtzen
The Grouches: Gorrillaton & Pip, 2025
Foam, pc pipe, arduino, UV lights, wood, LEDs
For your entertainment allow me to introduce you to the Grouches, Gorillaton and Pip! Watch and listen as they go out of their way to make fun of and pick at their fellow art pieces for the night.
The art of puppetry is a dying breed and this puppet show seeks to reintroduce the art form in a familiar yet fun and unique way.
About:
My names is Nia Bengtzen and I am a New Media Artist. I decided to follow into an art career a little later in my life. It took until I started college for me to decide I wanted to pursue this as a career. I grew up like most kids, loving video games and cartoons, but had resigned myself as a spectator not a participant in their creation. It wasn’t until I found myself in the darkest place I had ever been in my life that I really considered doing art for a living.
When I was at my lowest I found myself turning to my favorite pieces of entertainment like anime and cartoons. They brought me joy and kept my head above water. One day I thought to myself, “I want to create something that could make someone smile, even on their worst days”.
So, I shifted my focus on becoming an animator.
As I explored art and immersed myself in my new found passion, I found myself not only creating digital work, but physical work as well. I fell in love with both animation and sculpture and am driven to combine these mediums in new and fun ways.
I hope my goofy and macabre work can bring a smile to your face and a little joy in your life!
Instagram: @Arlen_blue_92