Rose Elizabeth Wharton (She/They) is an interdisciplinary artist from Tallahassee, Florida who is currently pursuing a BA in Studio Art at Florida State University (FSU). Rose's work reflects on the inherent importance of objects and materials, and how they give meaning to the human experience. Working across disciplines and driven by material exploration, Rose employs various processes and is informed by manual labor and traditional craft techniques. In their practice, Rose explores themes of home building, personal identity, and being from the South. Rose is a recipient of the Mary Brown Ostlund Scholarship and the Berlyn Arnett and Berlyn Ann Henne Award in Art. Rose's work has been in exhibitions across Tallahassee and the FSU campus, including the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows House where their work was on view for the 2025-2026 academic year.

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, time, 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.