We were lucky to catch up with Kathy Sirico recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kathy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I am currently working on a major artistic passion project about climate change in the Arctic world, based on my first-hand experience. In the summer of 2023, I spent three weeks living on a tall ship in the Arctic Circle and sailing around the International Territory of Svalbard, an archipelago close to the North Pole, with artists and scientists working around themes of climate change. This first-hand experience of the realities of climate change and mass extinction, and how they impact our world ecosystems, profoundly changed me. I am currently creating body of geometric abstractions which act as empathetical monuments to aspects of Arctic climate change, such as glacial melt, mass extinction, grief in connection to the landscape, legacies of whaling, and a mystical core connected to understandings of deep time. Simultaneously, I am working on a poetry collection which explores themes of climate change in Svalbard from the perspective of interspecies dialogues and interviews.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Brooklyn-based artist, poet, and educator working abstractly at the intersection of painting, sculpture, textiles, and installation. I create large-scale wall-based works and hanging sculptures featuring collaged layers of thousands of painted acrylic on canvas pieces, alongside recycled textiles and yarns. My goal is to innovate the field of contemporary abstraction by reimagining power as ecologically conscious, feminist, and radically empathetic. Climate change and mass extinction are at the forefront of my projects.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

For me, the greatest resource is learning from other artists! Making artwork in a studio can feel isolating, especially during long hours which are necessary for production. Luckily, I’m blessed with a great community of creative folks in all phases of life who care deeply about their practices and have all been through different challenges. We learn from each other. I believe artists succeed in groups, so the more I can support and uplift my friends, the more I feel supported.

Beyond personal success, the world needs art. Art, music, poetry, theatre, all of it is absolutely necessary to our societies. To any creative reading this, I am with you. Go out and make your magic happen!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I get to wake up everyday knowing that I’m following my dream! Life doesn’t get any better than that. Even when things get hard, knowing this and feeling it keeps me grounded.

Art also teaches you so many things, beyond creative and critical thinking. We learn how to pivot, how to embrace mistakes, how to take risks, how to innovate. Being an artist teaches you to focus your life on what you value, whether its a contemporary ecological or social issue, or a certain leading-edge mindset.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kathysirico.com
• Instagram: @moonrisekathy

Image Credits
Images courtesy of Kathy Sirico (C) 2024