cjay roughgarden is a bay area artist specializing in placemaking public and private metal sculpture

CJAY ROUGHGARDEN

I didn’t set out to be an artist. I started making things because it brought me joy — and I saw that the things I made brought that same feeling to other people.

The modern world is full of places designed to move through quickly, always on the way to somewhere else. My work is meant to interrupt that pattern — to create something people can slow down and experience while life is happening.

We are wired to respond to living systems, to harmony, and to forms that function elegantly. The work I make is designed to feel like a moment of arrival — a place where, even briefly, someone can experience a moment of wonder, feel present and at home.

Based in Richmond, California, I work primarily in steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, and bronze. My work often incorporates movement, fire, and light, and is developed in collaboration with architects, engineers, and other artists to create site-responsive installations that engage directly with their environment.

artist STATEMENT

CJAY ROUGHGARDEN

Large-scale public art and sculpture
Site-specific and commissioned installations
Interactive work incorporating movement, fire, and light
Collaboration with architects, engineers, and artists
Fabrication-informed design and execution

FOCUS AREAS

Cjay Roughgarden has been based in the Bay Area since 2007. Her path into sculpture began through hands-on fabrication after volunteering on a large-scale art project in 2015 and learning to weld for the first time.

She left a graduate MBA program to pursue this work, developing her skills through years of apprenticeship and practice in metal fabrication.

Today, she operates out of a studio in Richmond, California, producing large-scale sculptural work and site-specific installations. Through her fabrication studio, Element 26, she collaborates with engineers and project teams to realize complex work at scale.

Her work is shaped by the Bay Area’s artist community and its emphasis on experiential, public-facing art. She continues to focus on expanding access to public art and creating spaces that invite interaction, presence, and a sense of arrival.

BIO + BACKGROUND

background + FOCUS

BIOGRAPHY

View Cjay's portfolio of completed public art, commissioned sculpture, and permanent installations.

view full portfolio

public art & sculpture

From intimate commissions to large-scale public artworks, each project reflects Cjay’s approach to movement, material, and creating meaningful experiences within the built environment, bringing together sculpture, movement, light, and interaction to create memorable experiences.