We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kris Schaedig. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kris below.

Kris , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The path I am on now began with an old white cotton duvet from my great-grandmother. As the duvet wore out and was no longer useful, I noticed the repairs that were made to it over the years, the way the buttonholes were handmade, and the small holes that developed over time, so I decided to draw attention to these areas with embroidery thread. Letting these areas of repair and damage tell the stories of the history of the duvet as well as the stories of my great-grandmother through the care, love, and time taken to repair the duvet. This project opened the door for most of my work now.

Kris , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a multi-disciplinary artist living in the metropolitan Detroit area but I am originally from a small town in northern Michigan. My work has been shown throughout the U.S. as well as internationally. I hold an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BFA from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. I am currently an adjunct instructor in the Detroit metro area.

I create mixed media work that is contemplative in nature and is about the connections we have and make with each other through shared objects and spaces.

Over time, these items and spaces collect the residue of lives, histories, and experiences, embody human emotion, energy, and memory, and serve as significant ties between us. Domestic items such as pillowcases, coffee cups, and table linens, as well as structures and outdoor spaces have the potential to serve as conduits for these bonds.
I am influenced by the character and history of these intimate, everyday objects and spaces and the importance they hold in weaving together past-present-future, as well as forming new connections between people.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson that I’ve unlearned is to make artwork for an “audience” and to consider who my audience is. I’ve gradually learned that first and foremost I can and should make work that is personal to me and expresses something of me. That is authenticity. The audience and viewers will follow.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes. To tell the stories that are held within the spaces, land, or domestic items. I think it’s especially important currently since
materials, objects, and spaces manufactured today are not made or meant to last, are not repaired, and cannot fulfill this role as did items made in past generations. We live in a disposable, consumer culture where these connections are lost. What sort of new connections are we now creating? Are we creating new ways to connect with one another? Is it necessary that we have these connections through tangible, shared materials?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://krisschaedig.com/
• Instagram: @kris.schaedig
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krissmarieart