Kennedy Yanko
Brooklyn, NYC
February 2nd - February 28th
Artist Statement
Kennedy Yanko (b. 1988, St. Louis, MO) is an artist whose studio practice, based in Bushwick, Brooklyn, incorporates mindfulness, meditation, and wellness. A dedicated practitioner of qi gong and yoga, Yanko often uses the movement of her body to create works—in some instances immersing her limbs or whole body under a rubber sheet onto which she tosses paint and “dancing” in a way that unpredictably alters the paint’s natural dispersal. Most recently, her three dimensional sculptural paintings have served as the basis for immersive environments in physical space and in virtual reality.
For four years, Yanko alternated between a residency at The Living Theater in New York, one of the first and arguably the most influential experimental theater troupes in the U.S., and dedicating herself to her studio practice in St. Louis. Throughout this period, her work was showcased in a trio of solo exhibitions in St. Louis (2009’s “Wu-Wei,” 2010’s “Paroxysm,” and 2012’s “Permutation”) that coincided with major developments in Yanko’s experiments in painting. She has also completed a residency through the Atlantic Center of the Arts and in 2016 will serve as artist-in-residence at Florida International University. This year, she will also debut the VR project “Indelible Fluidity” as part of Miami Art Week. She currently resides and maintains her studio practice in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Conceptual website:
www.kennedyyanko.com
Painting website:
www.yankostudio.com
Instagram:
@Kennedyyanko
Press:
http://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kennedy-yanko-alchemy-in-silent-spaces/