PORTFOLIOS
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Myths (13)
The Greek Sphinx and Siren gets both the welded and mosaic treatment as I explore some original "Nasty Women" and their power and awesomeness. The mosaics start with a welded armature, and the armatures lead to purely steel sisters. -
Mosaic Sketchbook: Lilies (12)
I think of my body of small mosaic works as a sketch book, where I can experiment and study mosaic techniques, using imagery that fascinates me but doesn’t necessarily fit into my overall conceptual focus. Experimenting with new ways to use the materials set up fun challenges to push my technical creativity. It also allows me to give into the hedonistic seduction of materials, still corralling them into a predetermined form or image, but pushing against my intellectual control boundaries. This time, I use some of my photos of flowers to explore. -
Reliquaries for the 100 Million Cancelled Girls (26)
Honoring the precious individuals who were not allowed to live because they were girls. Yin and yang, the balanced concept of female and male duality, seems to be dramatically out of balance due to the subjugation of the feminine to the masculine in our global society. The ultimate expression of this is exemplified by the tragic gendercide of over 100-million girls in the last 20 years, which is the impetus for my current work. -
YANG/yin (27)
Within the last 20 years, one hundred million girls have become victims of gendercide, creating an imbalance that will have catastrophic consequences throughout the world. This is an ultimate expression of the universal subjugation of the feminine. As an extension of my “Subway Goddess Pageant” series, I have currently embarked on “yinYANG”, an exploration of the multiple dimensions associated with these horrific events. -
Subway Goddess Pageant (30)
The “Subway Goddess Pageant” series is in response to recognizing the effects my patriarchal upbringing had on my sense of self-worth. The sculptures juxtapose ancient powerful female figures, carved in stone, with these goddesses today, done in mosaics. The mosaic goddesses are light-hearted, but they are perhaps less confident and more superficial, tinged with a sense of something lost. The process mirrors the concept: mosaicing on a 3D form is literally superficial (applying a skin on a substrate), versus digging the inner goddess out of the depths of a stone. -
Gods and Goddesses (24)
The “Gods and Goddesses” series was inspired by 2 different events: One was the questioning of my male-dominated religion and upbringing and the effect these had on my sense of self-worth; And the second was the decline and fall of my parents (my God and Goddess on earth), witnessing the beauty of their spirit and the amazing power of their life force emanating from these broken bodies. -
Observed (12)
The “Observed” series came from the aftermath of 9/11, when depictions of Americans and Muslims in media were simplistic and inflammatory. It reminded me of how we tend to view others as types rather than individuals, and the tragedies that have followed such propaganda throughout history. One way I depicted this was to simulate 2D on one side of the face and 3D on the other. The different stones suggested a particular ethnicity, and the striations contributed to the emotional content of the pieces. -
NYC WaterTowers (43)
Water Towers, observed yet silent, have watched over New York City for more than 100 years. Seven of them stand sentinel in my slice of sky out my rear window. “NYC Water Towers: A Mosaic ‘Sketchbook’” was born when I finally figured out how to work with my obsession with them in my art: any time I want to experiment with new techniques and materials, I use the wooden water tank and its metal trestle as my subject. -
Exhibition Pictures (10)
Pictures of KKD artwork in various exhibitions -
home page (9)