Sense of Wonder brings together the lifelong curiosities of artist and maker Aaron Kramer, whose imagination and artistic expression is shaped by salvaged materials, mechanical tinkering, and an enduring belief that creativity is a way of understanding the world.

Growing up in the southern suburbs of Chicago, Kramer was a child who could never sit still. He roamed by skateboard and bike, treating Thursday trash day as a weekly treasure hunt for motors, electronics, and the raw materials that fueled his earliest experiments. From forts and go-karts to carved wearables and stitched-together objects, he developed a vocabulary of making rooted in resourcefulness, play, and the thrill of discovery. Mentors in woodshop, metalworking, and art classrooms nurtured this drive, and by high school he was already sharing his skills with younger students, a practice of teaching and mentorship that continues to shape his work.

Kramer’s sculptures evolved from steampunk-influenced assemblages to wire forms, woven containers, and kinetic constructions inspired by the earliest sonograms of his first child. This fascination with implied function and mechanical life has guided him toward automata: objects that blur the line between animate and inanimate, sparking a sense of enchantment in their movement. His drawing machines, in particular, channel the spirit of penny arcades and science museums, transforming simple mechanisms into mesmerizing performances.

A passionate educator, Kramer empowers children to build boldly, embrace failure, and cultivate a maker mentality that prepares them to construct their own futures. Sense of Wonder is an invitation to curiosity, play, and the boundless possibilities that emerge when imagination is set in motion.