Artists’ Proof

Curated by H Schenck

Kai Offett

About the Artist

Kai Offett is an early career interdisciplinary artist born and currently working in Chicago. Her work focuses on exploring the liminal space between the stereotypes that Black people are subject to, and the histories of such, often based on violent oppression and subjugation. Her practice includes painting, drawing, printmaking, and photography. Oils and acrylics, beads, hair, and loose canvas become tools for the task of preserving and creating new memories. Her process involves identifying the views imposed on marginalized groups and forming a response through her art. She aims to create conversations about the society we live in and the things we do because of the invisible systems around us. Kai has exhibited her work in the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry as well as Glass Curtain Gallery.

Artist:

Kai Offett

Social media: @KaiOffett

Website: KaiOffett.myportfolio.com

Exhibition

Artists’ Proof

Artist Statement

In Kai’s Offett’s exploration of the experiences of black people who sit at the crossroads of gender, race, and other identities, she primarily focuses on this through the lens of the women in her family. Her current research surrounds African symbols from Ghana such as Sankofa. A word originating from the Akan Tribe, Sankofa is part of a more comprehensive series of Adrinka symbols. Sankofa loosely translates to “go back and get it.”

Kai’s work puts that phrase into action by capturing memories and past experiences and bringing them to the present in a new way. Historically, black people have had their family histories erased through “paper genocide,” a term used to refer to the intentional destruction of documents and records. Kai’s work is not only a visual representation of keeping memories alive but also an act of intentionally archiving the history of people, experiences, emotions, and traditions embedded within these erased cultures. Her research continues to inform her work surrounding capturing her family’s history, and the history of her people, venerating both in the process. Her printmaking practice has become a large part of work artistic practice as a whole and serves as a reclamation of of physical media and documentation that many families don’t have access to. The labor required during the printing process reflects the labor of recording the history of one’s lineage and the care and time required to do so. The act of being able to physically reproduce images that document the people and experiences of these marginalized families has become a significant theme in her work.

Additionally, she continues to explore the ties between African-American culture and the religious traditions that have developed within the Black community despite chattel slavery and institutional racism.