Kayci Kerkow

Year of birth: 1993
Where do you live: Sunshine Coast, Australia
Your discipline: Oil and Mixed Media
Website | Instagram

Kayci Kerkow | And She Was Free | 2024

Your work blends realism with abstraction in a unique way. How do you find the balance between these two styles in your paintings?

I think that there is something so beautiful about pulling order form chaos, finding meaning in the ambiguous. For me abstraction is pure expression and is completely emotively driven. Even though it is less representational, it tells its own story. I find that truly inspiring. I love the juxtaposition of abstract and realism as I feel they are two halves to a whole in a sense, each amplifying the best parts of the other. It calls us to explore that beauty comes in all forms. The expressiveness and texture of abstraction creates a beautiful contrast against the softness of the subject’s skin, and conversely the more representational aspects of a piece make the abstract that much more interesting. The balance between the two is very intuitive but is most successful when the subject almost feels like it is emerging, the contrast of textures and styles each highlight the beauty in the other.

Can you share more about your creative process, especially the way you use mixed media in your works?

My creative process, much like my personality is a blend of chaotic and deeply considered. It has been the therapy for letting go of perfectionism and embracing the beauty in all things, especially those left to chance. Every artwork begins with an expressive under layer. Mixed media is incredible for this, as it lends itself to so many different textures and effects. There is so much variety in mark making, and the process of layering unpredictable materials like acrylic ink and spray paint make impossible to get too attached to your own plans for how the piece should look. Theres something truly freeing about working with your supplies and just exploring, like a child with a box of crayons. My underpainting layers often consist of collage, moulding paste, inks, spray paint, acrylic, various markers, and whatever new supplies I’m fortunate enough to play with. This part of the process is about genuine expression. From there I carve out my subjects in gorgeous oil paint, pulling from the abstraction. Watching this process of emergence is such a beautiful experience, and always reminds me that there is beauty in all things, and that we can always find meaning in the chaos.

Kayci Kerkow | When She Smiles | 2024

Your art seems to focus a lot on female portraiture. What is it about the female form that inspires you the most?

That’s such an excellent question. I have always found myself drawn to drawing and painting women, particularly portraiture. I think the female form has always been synonymous with beauty, but for me the most beautiful aspect of any woman is her heart, her expression. I find myself captivated by exactly how much intention the female face can carry, the storytelling in a single captured moment. We are many things. And whether caught in a moment of surrender, pure joy or determination, seeing the vast spectrum of human experience is breathtaking.

How do you use symbolism in your work, especially with animals and flora, to convey deeper emotional messages?

Symbolism is and has always been a global language. I find it beautiful that people from all walks of life with differing experiences and upbringings can look upon a symbol and feel a united understanding. That’s a deeply beautiful concept. Art is different things to different people, that’s what makes it so incredibly unique, and I love the thought that a single image can resonate so heavily with so many. I want my artwork to resonate with people on their own journeys, and so it is important to me in the creative process that I am not painting something so specific that it alienates another person’s experience. I aim to paint the emotion behind these experiences, the feelings that unify us. Using symbolism is such a beautiful avenue of exploring this. Be it colour, animal, botanical, I love to incorporate and juxtapose these symbols with my portraiture to further enhance the meaning of a piece. Whether the fierceness in a tiger’s eyes, or the freedom of a bird in flight, I find that bringing these elements into an artwork help the deeper emotional message resonate more effectively.

Kayci Kerkow | Come What May | 2024

You describe your work as a form of celebration of imperfect things. How do you think this message resonates with the world today, where perfection is often idolized?

This is a subject very near and dear to my heart. We live in a world that forces beauty and perfection on us like shackles at our wrists, trapping us in a tireless pursuit of the unattainable. Never feeling enough. Never feeling worthy. We have all felt that weight, felt the criticism from both the outside world and from our own internal monologue. Life is too short and far too precious to live chained to an ideal that stops us from flourishing and thriving. The most precious things we can make in life are mistakes, there is nothing to be learned in perfection. In my work, I want to explore the idea that beauty and perfection are not synonymous. I want to uplift and encourage my collectors to find and celebrate beauty for what it truly is, living simply, loving deeply, facing the sunshine, and embracing the blessing that is the joy in every day. I want them to feel seen, feel heard and know that they are enough exactly as they are. My artistic journey has taught me to celebrate the the small wins and have pride in every triumph, to make a mess and unleash expression, to just be. I am not perfect, my work is not perfect, not even close, but it doesn’t have to be, because that’s where the beauty truly lies. To anybody who reads this, you are enough exactly as you are, and in whatever state you woke up today, you are beautiful.

Your statement mentions the concept of “resting space” in your work. Can you elaborate on what that means to you and how you incorporate it into your pieces?

We live in a fast-paced world that vales productivity and engagement, often leaving us so overstimulated by all that on offer to us, that it’s difficult to disengage. We see, but don’t appreciate, hear but don’t listen, do but don’t experience. I feel so strongly that Art is the remedy to this, a place where our eyes and hearts can rest, absorb, recharge. If you’ve ever seen a painting, or sculpture or artwork in any form that deeply resonated with you, you will understand the peace that it can bring. Resting space means different things to different people, because each of us are different and see the world through a different lens. Some artists use fields of colour, neutral tone, or many other elements to create space in a piece for the eye to rest and ensure balance. I have experimented with many of them, but as I have progressed on my journey, I find that it is the faces in my artwork that serve this purpose most effectively. The abstraction in my work contrasts with the delicacy of skin, and the expression of the faces of my subjects call on the eye to rest and recharge. It is my hope that we can see a part of ourselves, of our journey and take a moment to connect and disengage from the world around us. A moment to rest, recharge and renew.

Kayci Kerkow | Sweet Divinity | 2024

How does your experience as a mother, poet, and artist influence your approach to creating art?

I believe whole heartedly that we are all, each and everyone of us born creative, we are all artists in our own right. Artistry is achieved with more than tools and hands, and art is more than pigment and canvas. It’s the relationships we have nurtured, the dreams we have birthed, the lives we have built. My husband claims to not have a creative bone in his body, but he is a problem solver, he creates solutions that others can’t. Whether it’s baking, painting, writing, coding, business solutions, elf on a shelf, we are always creating, bringing new things into the world. Creativity is pure expression! It’s the part of us that connects with both ourselves and the world around us, uniting what’s in our hearts and in our lives. I have spent my life exploring as many avenues of creation as possible. Every phase of my life has lent itself to an entire new scope of creativity. From a 17 year old girl publishing her first book, to a mother learning how to bake outlandish birthday cakes because her son was obsessed with ‘ Jake and the Neverland Pirates’. ( If you know, you know). Becoming a mother to two little men was, as it always is, life changing. Children are the most creative of us all. From Lego, they build empires, with a crayon they create worlds, with a sharpie on my wall they create grey hairs. There is no self-imposed boundaries upon them that hinders their creative spirit, they create purely for the love of it. For me, creating art is about so much more than just applying materials to my surface, and every experience along the way has really cemented the firm belief in me that creation begins the moment an idea is sparked. As a recovering perfectionist, I am so unendingly grateful to these experiences that have given me perspective on what creativity truly means and given me the freedom to truly give myself over to that expression and the love of the process.

Kayci Kerkow | Treasured Memories| 2024