We recently connected with Karly Jean Kainz and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Karly Jean thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I knew from an early age I wanted to do two things—be an artist and be a teacher. Of course when I was young, drawing pictures of made up people and flowers from my parent’s garden, I really had no idea what it meant to be either of those things. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I truly felt certain of myself and was ready to make those dreams a reality. I had an amazing art teacher who really believed in me and saw something in me. He pushed me to find my voice in art, go to events, and meet people in the field. This kind of confidence gave me the to courage to peruse art in college which led to graduate school, and now today. Having an inspiring mentor at an early age reassured my passion for education as well, acknowledging just how meaningful it is to have someone who believes in you.
Karly Jean, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m an interdisciplinary artist from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an emphasis in Print & Narrative Forms from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I then continued my studies at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I received my MFA just a few months ago. In between school, I worked at the Theaster Gates Studio in Chicago, IL where I did letterpress work for exhibitions including the Chicago Architectural Biennial in 2019 and designed for projects, such as Dorchester Industries. I’ve shown both nationally and internationally, including exhibitions such as “A Sense of Place” at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art in Augusta, Georgia and “Text-ure 2024” at Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea.
My time at NMSU was very formative for me and my practice. I came in as a traditionally trained printmaker, and left as a ceramicist. In an unexpected way, I found many similarities between the two—both heavily technical and systematic, method focused with room to experiment. It just made sense in my head. I feel really lucky to now be a part of the ceramics community, filled with so many amazing, talented, and kind people.
I’m interested in the idea of collecting, as an act to hold onto a place, a person, or a moment. I believe it’s something we all do and it exists in various ways within our lives. Sentimental objects have a special charge to them, speaking to us. When it comes to physicality of my making, my approach to crafting three-dimensional forms stems from print concepts of repetition, layering, carving and screen printing. I’m constantly in search of new ways to connect the two mediums, bridging together my knowledge and experience with both.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In the fall of 2022, I was in my third semester of graduate school. That August my partner was diagnosed with stage four cancer and I returned home to be with him during his treatments. I never expected to leave New Mexico in the middle of my studies to return to Wisconsin, but I needed to be there for him. There, in Wisconsin, I set up a small studio in my parents basement where I would work for the next five months. It was a time of much uncertainty, but my studio really became a place of sanctuary. This time completely shifted my practice and the ways I approached making. Thankfully, my partner is in complete remission and feeling much better. It’s times like these where things become abundantly evident, and that’s exactly what happened with my practice. It became a necessity, a way of processing and moving through that time, and I still feel that way now.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
There are many goals I have within my practice and they are constantly evolving, but many core ideas will always remain the same. I make to fulfill myself first and foremost. I believe it’s what I’m meant to do, but I also believe in making things for people. I want my art to feel accessible so people can enjoy the pieces within their homes. Coming from a printmaking background of trading prints with my peers and making inexpensive zines and books, I continue to have that mentality, that making is meant to be shared. I’m also a very big believer in community and shared knowledge. I’ve learned over the past few years that teaching manifests in many ways outside of a traditional classroom, from workshops, to quick tutorials, to simply taking time to help a friend with a technique. As a creative, I feel it’s part of my duty to be there for my fellow makers, to support each other and help each other grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karlyjeankainz.com
- Instagram: @karlyjeank
Image Credits
Yashoda Latkar and Ashley Diane Saldana.