Jessica Levine

Jessica Levine is a sculptor and metal fabricator from South Lake Tahoe, California, specializing in large-scale steel sculptures that explore the internal worlds of humans versus their external shared realities. After attending UC Santa Cruz where she studied fine art and sociology, Levine discovered her passion for welding and now uses steel to “draw” in physical space, hand-forming and welding each piece to match the images within her mind. As a deep feeler, she creates elaborate works offering reflections on complex emotions and what it means to be human.

Levine has built four large-scale sculptures for Burning Man, with her most notable being “Strong Magic” (2022), a 30-foot-wide by 13-foot-tall interactive fire sculpture depicting a half-lioness, half-human woman shooting flames 20 feet into the air from her paws, created with a Burning Man Honoraria art grant. Another signature work is “Life Labyrinth,” a 6’5″ human form composed of thousands of tiny pieces of steel welded to resemble veins and arteries, illuminated by LED lights to create an electric appearance. She has exhibited internationally at festivals and completed numerous private large-scale commissions with works on temporary public display. Levine is owner and licensed welding contractor at Bear Metal Welding (CA LIC# 1077544).