CETI ARTS by sarey
They struggle to hold their form. They cannot decide what pain is more tolerable: that of holding human shape, or that of revealing their true selves.
Artist’s Statement
My creatures can't hold their shape. They're caught in between, unable to choose which is worse: the strain of holding a human form, or the exposure of letting their true selves show through.
Hot glue, polymer clay, doll parts, nail extensions, and the synthetic surfaces of beauty and disguise make up these beauties. The surface is always doing the work of holding the figure together, and always failing - sometimes just a little, sometimes a lot.
That failure is where the work lives: the threshold where the familiar turns strange and something truer surfaces. Becoming yourself can be a grotesque and horrifying business.
Each piece in the Falling Out of Form collection is a 1-of-1 collectable sculpture. To inquire about purchase or schedule an in-person viewing in PDX, email sarey@secretartproject.com.
falling out of form
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THERAPY GLOW WORM
hand-sculpted hot glue, polymer clay, mixed media. UV reactive. 1/1 · 6.5” × 3.5”.
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AFTER THE SWAMP
plastics, acrylic paint, resin. 1/1. 5”
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MOTHER IN FLUX
plastics, acrylic paint, mixed media. 1/1. 9”
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THIRD EYE GLAM
plastics, acrylic paint, resin. 1/1. 8”
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ANDROID DEATH DOULA
plastics, polymer clay, mixed media. 1/1. 8”
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TRUE/FALSE CATERPILLAR
polymer clay, acrylic paint, resin. nail art details. 1/1. 5” × 8”
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PINKIE
plastics, polymer clay, mixed media. uv reactive. 1/1. 8”
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SHE IS GREEN
polymer clay, plastics, mixed media. 1/1. 11”
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TIRED OF BEING FUNNY
polymer clay, acrylic paint, nail art, mixed media. 1/1. ~4” × 7”.
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PERSONAL GROWTH
polymer clay, acrylic paint, mixed media. nail art details. 1/1. 6” × 4”.
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PRINCE JULIO
polymer clay, acrylic paint, mixed media. nail art detail. 1/1. 4” × 7”
My mixed media practice blends my love of art toys, nail art, and the character design skill I developed as a filmmaker. For more about my cinematic world-building, click here.
Featured: Attic Treasures
Secondary Market: Attic Treasures is a collection of creatively upcycled Ty plush dolls from 1993. They are each one of a kind art dolls with hand-sculpted and painted faces, which enhance their already dynamic personalities. Shop the collection here. Email questions to sarey@secretartproject.com.
This is a creatively upcycled Ty plush from the 1996 collection called “Attic Treasures.” Unlike most Beanie Babies, Attic Treasures individuals have jointed, movable limbs and posable heads! These art dolls by Sarey feature a new face to emphasize their unique personalities. It’s hand-sculpted polymer clay and hand-painted with acrylic. A thin coat of resin has been added to give it a show-stopping shine. Each item in this collection is one of a kind.
Georgia has her original Ty tag, which tells us her name and catch phrase: “Follow Your Rainbow!” (Note: It looks like someone took a market to her body, but this was part of Ty’s original design—she came looking like a child followed their rainbow upon her.)
This is a creatively upcycled Ty plush from the 1996 collection called “Attic Treasures.” Unlike most Beanie Babies, Attic Treasures individuals have jointed, movable limbs and posable heads! These art dolls by Sarey feature a new face to emphasize their unique personalities. It’s hand-sculpted polymer clay and hand-painted with acrylic. A thin coat of resin has been added to give it a show-stopping shine.
Emmet has their original Ty tag, which tells us their name and catchphrase: “All the World Loves a Clown!”
This is a creatively upcycled Ty plush from the 1996 collection called “Attic Treasures.” Unlike most Beanie Babies, Attic Treasures individuals have jointed, movable limbs and posable heads! These art dolls by Sarey feature a new face to emphasize their unique personalities. It’s hand-sculpted polymer clay and hand-painted with acrylic. A thin coat of resin has been added to give it a show-stopping shine.
Strawbunny has her original Ty tag, which tells us her name and her catch phrase: “You Tickle Me Pink!”
BIO
Sarey Martin Concepción is an artist and filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon. Originally from Los Angeles, she has worked in Portland since 2020 under Secret Art Project, where her sculpture, objects, and film share a single uncanny sensibility. Her visual art practice, CETI ARTS, makes one-of-a-kind creatures from hot glue, polymer clay, resin, and the synthetic materials of beauty culture — figures suspended between human and other, glamour and dread. Her influences run from the surrealism of Leonora Carrington to the body horror of David Cronenberg to the lineage of sofubi collectible toys. Her films, including the sci-fi short The Winemaker, have screened and won awards at festivals. Her work was recently shown at ADX Portland (2026). She works between her ADX studio and a home workshop. Follow @cetiarts.
