Rora Blue, “The Unsent Project”

ARTPRIZE | D2D – Featured Artist | Grand Rapids, Michigan 

Studio D2D News   •   August 3rd, 2018

artist with long blond hair and black lace shirt against a red floral covered wallartist with long blond hair and black lace shirt against a red floral covered wall

Meet the Artist

Rora Blue is a conceptual artist based in the United States. She actively produces artwork that is defined by color, text, and interactivity. Her work relies heavily on color to communicate a feeling to the viewer. Participation, and documenting the experiences of others is also essential to her artistic process. Rora Blue is best known for her series Handle With Care and for The Unsent Project, which has received over 32,000 submissions. Her work has been featured in news outlets such as The New York Times, Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. 

conceptual art piece being held up in front of a building

The Art

The Unsent Project a collection of unsent text messages to first loves. Messages are anonymously submitted from people all over the world. The Unsent Project has accumulated over 32,000 submissions. The content of the messages are wide ranging, encompassing just about every emotion. The goal of The Unsent Project is to figure out what color people see love in. To investigate this, messages are displayed on the color the submitter associates with their first love. The Unsent Project exists in both physical and digital forms. All texts are submitted and stored digitally on Rorablue.com in an online archive. Submissions are also printed out and turned into large collages on wood panel with resin. The collages explore the relationship between color and emotion. 

an artist seated at a table looking at colorful conceptual art

From the Artist

“My artistic career began after as a simple post on Tumblr in 2015. The post asked people to anonymously submit a message they never sent to their first love. I didn’t expect this prompt to turn anything, I actually didn’t even consider it art at the time. 3 years I have received over 32,000 submissions later and the Unsent Project has become my largest body of work. I have dedicated myself entirely to my art and continue to work on the Unsent Project every single day. ” Rora Blue-ArtPrize 2018

conceptual art piece transposed over an image of a highway
image of a conceptual artpiece transposed over an image of a camera and the ocean
old vintage light lit up at night on a downtown building

Thanks for Stopping By!

We are so excited to continue this series featuring the talented artists who will be calling the Harris Building home during ArtPrize 2018! If you are in Grand Rapids during ArtPrize, make sure to swing by, Studio D2D will be a fantastic place to be! For more information on the festival, or the artists, you can head over to the ArtPrize website and create an account to stay in the loop!

~ Team D2D