Check out Oh, Tulsa! at Living Arts on September 3rd (First Friday) to see a collection of works by Tulsa artists! My pieces Estuary and Lilith Nest will be on display, alongside some of my favorite artists’ work.
Pink: An Exploration
I am delighted that my mixed media work titled Lilith Nest was included in this exhibition! 15 artists were included in this show, each with our own meditation on how the work related to the central theme. The show is open through August 28th at the Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education in Tulsa, OK.
Statement from the Curators:
“Pink: An Exploration brings together artists from across the region as they explore color, both as a physical experience and a cultural symbol. Artists in the exhibition have created work of varied disciplines that explores pink through the lens of material culture, domestic culture, phenomenology, politics, gender, sexuality, and more. Curated by Catherine Crain, CJ Charbonneau, and Gretchen VanWormer.”
Lilith Nest, 2018.
My statement about this piece:
"Lilth Nest" is focused on the experience of being conditioned or raised female, and how that contributes to a sense of shame concerning the body in its natural state. The color pink is associated with young girls as a way to celebrate and identify a child's gender, but is also used as an insidious marketing tool to limit acceptable behavior and expression. I explore the roles synthetic materials and consumption of digital imagery play in female conditioning by placing an organic female form amidst materials marketed to women as "improvements" to their bodies, such as hair extensions, plastic accessories, and idealized bodies from magazines.”
The show looks fantastic and the opening was so much fun! This group of work is wonderfully diverse in medium and in relation to the theme. Videos from the opening reception below.
Uncontrolled Self - a joint exhibition by Kenzie Adair and Austin Navrkal
It’s been a busy summer in Tulsa! My joint exhibition, Uncontrolled Self, with mixed-media sculpture artist Austin Navrkal took place at Liggett Studio and was open from July 12th - August 3rd. Together, our work explored control over organic materials and finding reflections of humanity within those materials. Complementary abstract shapes and a range of textures echoed between the works to create an engaging visual dynamic. It was a blast to put together, and the show looked beautiful!
Honorable Mention at Momentum 2019
Momentum is an annual exhibition of Oklahoma artists ages 30 and younger organized by the Oklahoma Visual Artists Coalition (OVAC). Every year the exhibition takes place in a different venue, and this year it was held in The Womb gallery of Factory Obscura in Oklahoma City, which is an immersive art collective founded in 2017. My mixed media pieces Estuary, Sundae, and Early Dew were on display, and Early Dew was awarded Honorable Mention from the OKC Marquee. It was an incredible show with 67 works in all mediums by 41 young artists representing Oklahoma’s emerging talent!
Read a review of the show here.
Here’s a short video clip of my work at Momentum 2019 with local band Flock of Pigs grooving in the background!
"Knee Deep" featured in Connect Savannah
My exhibition Knee Deep at the SCAD Museum of Art, which went up on August 14th, came to a close this month. If you missed it, check out my interview with Rachael Flora at Connect Savannah who covered the show here!
Process Pictures
I took the time to document my latest work, Shroud, at each step of its progression. I've been meaning to do this for a while, so I'm glad I finally got the chance.
Qualia*
BFA Exhibition 5.9.2014
My BFA Exhibition Qualia* will be up from May 9-14 at Sicky Nar Nar Gallery, Savannah GA. I'm incredibly excited to show alongside some of the most talented classmates with whom I have shared the last four years with here at SCAD. More updates coming soon, but in the meantime, check out the website here!
Honorable Mention at Non-Fiction Gallery
My mixed media piece entitled Ladylike was chosen for the juried show Curious Deviations at Non-Fiction Gallery in Savannah, GA. Event description:
"Non-Fiction presents Curious Deviations, a juried exhibition of 27 artists exploring the concept of the uncanny. Through diverse style and medium, the artists encapsulate both the familiar and strange, feelings of tension, eeriness, or disquiet."
Unfortunately I could not attend, as I was beginning my semester abroad in Lacoste, France. However, I was ecstatic to receive news that the jurors awarded my piece Honorable Mention! The award was icing on the cake of a truly great experience showing alongside 26 fantastically bold and talented artists.
Photo by Naimar Ramirez
The show was part of First Friday Art March, a program by Art Rise Savannah that collaborates with local businesses and community members for a gallery hop on the first Friday of every month. Kayla Goggin of Art Rise Savannah wrote in her review of Curious Deviations:
"It is my opinion that this is one of the most conceptually successful shows I have yet to see in Savannah’s independent galleries...this is a must-see stop on Friday’s Art March; it is rich, diverse, and will definitely command your imagination"
Photo by Kayla Goggin
Goggin also cited a few specific works in her article, including Ladylike:
"Throng Kim’s Disco Mind, Zhenjie Dong’s Pixie and the Red Cross Society of China and Kenzie [Adair]’s Ladylike deal with themes of mystery and the eeriness of untold identity. [Adair]’s piece seems to offer some nebulous feminist commentary, perhaps referencing Hannah Wilke’s Starification Object Series with its similar chewed gum motif obscuring the identity or beauty of a woman."
Read the full article here!
Overall, being a part of Curious Deviations was an honor, a great experience, and great way to debut the new direction of my work. Special thanks to Everyone at Non-Fiction Gallery and Art Rise Savannah for everything you do to support artists and expand the arts in general!