Ferrara said the additional time, along with building a dedicated studio in his home after 15 years without a permanent workspace and finding renewed creative inspiration, gave him the right conditions to begin creating again.

“Simply put, I have more time and mental capacity to create,” he said.

Technology Meets Sculpture

Ferrara’s exhibition also showcases how 3D printing is changing sculpture. The process begins with plaster casts of his hands, which are digitally scanned, resized and refined through the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environement’s 3D Lab before being printed. Ferrara said gallery artist Anastasia Pelias introduced him to Nick Licausi who oversees the Lab, and the two began collaborating in 2025.

“3D printing is the basis of my exhibition,” Ferrara said. “The first step is to cast my hands in plaster. I then brought those hands to the 3D Lab to begin iterating the various arrangements and orientations of the works I wanted to create.”

Ferrara applies layers of epoxy and paint to recreate the appearance of skin, ceramic, stainless steel, bronze, copper, gold and glass.

“I firmly believe that 3D printing is the future of sculpture because it allows an artist to be exceptionally dynamic in making sculptures that might otherwise through traditional processes take years and cost thousands of dollars,” he said. “It’s simply more fluid and cost effective.”

Returning to the Artist’s Role

Although Ferrara has spent more than 30 years promoting other artists, he said presenting his own work again required a different mindset.

“I have always loved supporting other artists and their work,” he said. “But there is nothing quite like making your own artwork. The ability to take an idea, a simple thought, and turn it into something tangible is incredibly fulfilling.”

Ferrara admitted exhibiting his own work in his own gallery after more than two decades was initially daunting.

“But once I assembled and finished the first piece and saw how beautiful it was, that all went away and was replaced by pure inspiration and a huge desire to share my creative vision with the world,” he said.

Offerings, Ferrara’s first solo exhibition in 23 years, remains on view through July 11 at Ferrara Showman Gallery.

Related