Presenting Artist

Kristine Mays

Sculpted from thousands of pieces of wire hooked and looped together, each of Kristine Mays’ garments embodies a fleeting gesture or expression that delivers a message of strength while challenging how we view ourselves and others. An invisible occupant revealed through the sculpted folds and wrinkles of a garment, or the shapes that come together to create the human form. A strong spirit shines forth in the dichotomy of what is revealed.  The sculptures look fragile and soft and yet are solid and strong, reminiscent of a foundation of sorts. Within the confines of hard metal wire is a sense of resilience and perseverance – a need to push forward and thrive. The work speaks to identity– the question of who we are and what we can do with our lives, the impact our lives have on the world.

Some say the answers are in the earth. People wander the grounds witnessing the ever evolving process of life and death as plants sprout and blossom, grow and wilt – leaves withering and falling to the ground, to be consumed by the soil.

“To acknowledge our ancestors means we are aware that we did not make ourselves, that the line stretches all the way back, perhaps to God; or to Gods. We remember them because it is an easy thing to forget: that we are not the first to suffer, rebel, fight, love and die. The grace with which we embrace life, in spite of the pain, the sorrow, is always a measure of what has gone before.” ― Alice Walker

My exhibit, Rich Soil challenges people to acknowledge the ancestors, the workers of the land, those deemed lesser than, the bodies that have been used and disposed of. The artwork moves beyond beauty and decoration– provoking thoughts of spirituality, racial justice and humanity. Loosely inspired by the Alvin Ailey dancers, it has accentuated ideas of playfulness and worship with the ever-changing ecology of the land as its stage. The work offers many ideas and interpretation. In the middle of orchids, conversation about land acknowledgment, Black Lives Matter and immigration have become commonplace.  There was a dance between spirituality and social awakening – both ends of the spectrum evoking deep reaching conversation.