On display in the South Gallery of the Columbia Art League
April 15 - April 26, 2025
Artist's Statement
I approach oil painting as a visual journal. Currently, I am digging into what first sparked my obsession with art in order to center my art practice with a clear purpose. I’ve found that I need to make art that is not only personally important but also honestly reflects my experiences. I often begin with an image that correlates with a significant moment or observation. Painting representationally, I use color and abstraction to build an emotional experience. I incorporate processes and materials taken from printmaking and textile arts. Leaning into intuition and risk-taking, I sand, scrape, carve, or cut the surface. I may attach crochet strands or tight stitches. Equal to paint, I use the painting surface as a medium.
The repetitive hung units make up an installation work titled Weeping Willow. Materials include Mylar, acetate, tracing paper, spray paint, and fishing line. The process of creating these units is repetitive and holds a meditative quality. Willow-like limbs soften the room, inviting the viewer to step into the space and engage with the ideas within the work. Working from life, I discuss topics such as grief, disability, and injustice and all of the complicated interpersonal ways we experience these things. None of my experiences are disconnected or unique, and that is the point. I work so that the viewers feel seen, find expression for their own lives, and leave inspired to practice art as a useful tool of healing.
Artist Bio
Kyra King is a multimedia oil painter, installation artist, and art educator. King grew up in Hallsville and Columbia, Missouri, and completed her BFA at Lubbock Christian University. Her solo exhibits include At the End of the Day shown at Lubbock Christian University, Space to Be with Charles Adam Studio Project, and Weeping Willow at Rocky Mountain College.
