Rose E. Wharton (She/They) is an interdisciplinary artist from Tallahassee and Monticello, Florida. Rose recieved their Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida State University (FSU) in May, 2026. Rose is a recipient of the Mary Brown Ostlund Scholarship, the Berlyn Arnett and Berlyn Ann Henne Award in Art, and an undergraduate finalist for the Excellence in Visual Arts Exhibition Award. Rose's work has been in exhibitions across Tallahassee, the FSU campus, and recently at Mudflat Studio in Somerville, MA. This summer, Rose will be an Artist-in-Residence at Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, a Mentee of Silver River Center for Chair Caning at John C. Campbell Folk School, and will have work exhibited in the Atlantic Center for the Arts University Student Exhibition.

As an interdisciplinary artist, my work is driven by material investigation and understanding. With a focus on mixed media sculpture, my work is informed by traditional craft techniques and manual labor, which are often isolated by constructed gender roles, through which I create a place where my queer identity can safely exist within the social binary.

My approach to making expanded during the experience of building my house on my family's land in North Florida. This shaped my perspective on the importance of slowness and sustainability within my process. It is because of this that many of my pieces feature repurposed objects, tools, and materials I have accumulated from my family's property. Including these in my work gives new life to out-of-commission objects while fostering my material exploratory research. These objects dictate my decision-making process when choosing other materials to fabricate my sculptures: mild steel, textiles, ceramics, basketry, and wood.

My body of work depicts a central theme of home building by reflecting on personal identity, family history, the South, place, as well as safety, belonging, and care. My work considers the inherent importance of objects and materials, and questions their origins and how the way I interact with them defines my existence and shapes my sense of self. Through making, I build a home within myself and the world around me.